I'm More Than You Know
by Imaginary-Warrior
Summary: Annie didn't think that Bruce Wayne would change her life. Then again, she didn't think she would fall in love with a vigilante.  Gotham certainly has more than what meets the eye. Bruce/OC Alfred/OC Joker/Harley
1. Remedy

A/N: Hello everyone. This is the start that I promised from the one-shot _If Only You Knew_. I know that this first chapter is currently short, but I promise to try for longer chapters. If I don't update on a regular basis, please don't be angry. Like a lot of you, I'm in school and that takes up a lot of my time. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Please review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman Begins/The Dark Knight or any other characters you recognize to belong to the Batman empire. As much as I would like to; I don't. Annette is my own creation along with a few other characters who you won't recognize from the movies.**

_**Chapter One: Remedy**_

The alarm clocked sounded through the silent room. "DIE!" its owner exclaimed, slamming her fist down on the snooze button. The clock immediately quieted. Annette Hallowell (or Annie as she preferred) gazed at the bright red numbers that read 7:30. She had an interview at Wayne Enterprises at eight o'clock and she lived a half hour away from the Wayne tower when traffic was moving quickly. "Dammit!" Annie jumped out of bed and hurriedly threw on the outfit that she had chosen the previous night which consisted of a navy blue skirt, a white shirt, and a matching navy blue jacket. After brushing her teeth and hair, Annie grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She groaned as there was already a line to get a taxi. One of the yellow vehicles was coming to the side of the road and she saw an old woman going to it slowly with her walker. "This is going to come back to bite me in the ass," Annie commented to no one in particular. She almost went to steal the taxi from the old woman, but she couldn't bring herself to take away from the precious dear. So, she let it go. Fate, however, decided to reward this good deed by another taxi pulling up to her. "Wayne tower and step on it!" Annie ordered as she jumped in.

"You got it," the taxi cab driver replied. He pulled away from the curb and sped away to the famed center of Gotham.

When he reached the gigantic building that made Annie feel like an ant, she threw her the last of her cash in the front seat and walked into the building as quickly as her high heels would allow. The main lobby was clean with granite floors and walls with wide windows and glass doors. A bored looking receptionist sat at the desk that was in the middle of the room, fiddling with her nails. Annie went up to her, "Excuse me; I have an interview with Mr. Wayne."

The receptionist (whose name tag revealed her name to be Jennifer) looked at Annie as though sizing her up for competition. Chewing her bubble gum obnoxiously, Jennifer answered, "He's on the twenty-third floor and he doesn't like waiting so you better hurry."

Not sure if the woman was trying to help or being rude, Annie merely replied, "Thanks." She went to the elevator and pressed the button. A ding sounded and the elevator doors opened. Annie stepped inside the decently sized contraption and pressed the button that signified the twenty-third floor. The doors closed and she went up. Annie tried to ignore the queasy feeling that always happened when she became further and further from the ground, but her acrophobia (fear of heights) decided to rear its ugly head. She was saved from dwelling on such thoughts when another ding sounded and the doors opened. At eight o'clock on the dot she was ready for her interview with Mr. Bruce Wayne. Annie was barely on the floor for a moment when an attractive man came out in the hallway to greet her. He was sharply dressed in a neat suit and his dark hair sleeked back out of his brown eyes. There was an air of confidence around him and Annie mentally shook herself to keep from staring at him. "Mr. Wayne?" she asked in a strong voice.

Bruce Wayne looked at the young woman in front of him who could be the remedy to his problem of not having a secretary. She wasn't bad looking, but she was plain with long brown curls and green eyes. "Yes, and who are you?" he replied to her.

"I'm your new secretary, Annette Hallowell. You can call me Annie," said Annie.

Bruce raised his eye brows, "Isn't it _my_ decision of whether you're _my_ secretary or not?"

"Well, after the interview you will want me as your secretary. I was just hoping to save you some time since the point of a secretary is to make her boss's life as easy as possible," said Annie. She looked at him with wide eyes and he could only smirk. The girl had a spine which was something he needed when she was planning his meetings and whatnot.

"Miss Hallowell, will you please join me in my office?" Bruce asked her politely, gesturing to the glass doors. Annie nodded and walked forward with him. He opened the door for her and she entered the room. It wasn't much more different than other corporate offices she had seen. The walls were all glass so that Bruce had a fantastic view of the entire city of Gotham, though there were beige blinds for when he wanted privacy. Bruce's desk faced the doors on the opposite side of the room. On the adjacent wall of the door was a comfortable looking couch that had a small coffee table in front of it. Bruce sat down in the chair behind his desk and motioned for Annie to sit down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. After she handed him her resume, Annie did. He read over it while she twirled her thumbs in her lap. After what seemed like an eternity, Bruce looked up at her and said, "You certainly come with a great background."

"Thanks."

"You have top recommendations, a business degree, and you seem to be competent with a computer. All-in-all, you have a lot of what the other applicants did when they applied to this job. What sets you apart?"

Annie sighed inwardly. She hated this part of interviews. Who wanted to talk about themselves like their perfect? It felt so awkward and uncomfortable. "You should hire me because I have more balls than the rest of those applicants. I could be having the worst day of my life and you wouldn't know because I would tough through everything. I always keep a smile on my face. It's probably not the healthiest way to live, but I prefer to conquer instead of being conquered and that will really help you out. I'm loyal to a fault and if you're in trouble you can bet that I will be there. I'm your best option."

Again Bruce raised his eye brows at her and Annie was almost certain that they would get lost in his hair. "So, best option, I'm having a bit of doubt with your resume. I see that you also majored in architecture. I don't think you are planning to stay here for long and I need someone who will be around for a long time. If you plan on leaving after a year or two then I'd rather you not be here at all."

"That wouldn't be a problem. First, I can work two jobs. Second, there aren't really any job offerings in architecture so I probably will be here for awhile. Third, if you need a new building to be built then I can make the plans and you don't have to pay a ridiculous price of some…foreign man who…carries a little dog with him at all times," Annie replied. She didn't expect Bruce's reaction.

He busted out laughing, "'Some foreign man who carries a little dog with him at all times?' Where on earth did you come up with _that_?"

"I don't know! It was just the first thing that popped in my head—that is also another great characteristic of mine. I come up with random ideas that no one expects and yet they love them," Annie allowed herself a smile and a few chuckles of her own. Bruce's laughter finally died down and he was looking at her with a serious expression on his face. Annie met his gaze as her hands clenched into fists in her lap due to nervousness. He slowly stood up and walked to be in front of her, leaning on his desk. His hands were casually in his pockets and he finally gave her a smile.

"I think, Miss Hallowell, you will be a perfect fit here at Wayne Enterprises. You've got the job," he told her.

Annie just stared at him before asking, "Really?"

"Really really," said Bruce.

"Oh my God! Thank you!" she exclaimed. Annie jumped up and threw her arms around Bruce, who was startled by the touch, but ended up wrapping his arms around her too. They let go after a second and Annie began to rant, "I know that wasn't really professional, but this is so amazing! You have no idea how badly I needed this job! I will be the best secretary in the history of secretaries! I have job!"

"Annie!" Bruce said loudly.

Annie stared at him with wide eyes and stopped her fan girl spasms, "Yes?"

"Let's get you settled in and then you can feel free to do a happy dance," said Bruce. Annie nodded and he showed her to her desk and gave her all of the notes that the last secretary (Jessica) had left behind. By the end of the day Annie was confident about her new job and was excited to get back into work after being laid off for a month. She went home and thought about Wayne Enterprises and particularly her very attractive boss. Hopefully, this job would be the remedy to the financial problems her father left behind and to the bills her mother continued to pile as a patient in Arkham Asylum.


	2. Visitors

A/N: Hey everybody, thanks so much for reading this. Thank you to all who reviewed, I tried very hard to remember all that you said when writing this chapter so that you would happy too. Um…I think that's everything. So on with the show! Or, technically, on with the story!

**Disclaimer: I swear, I do not own anything that belongs to the Batman franchise/empire/enterprise (whichever adjective floats your boat). I do not own the actors (though how amazing would that be?), but I do own Annie and some others who will be coming up.**

**Chapter 2: Visitors**

After a few weeks (and happy dances), Annie fell into a regular pattern at Wayne Enterprises. She would schedule meetings for Bruce, take his phone calls, and she even made a few friends along the way. Her first friend was Katelyn "Katie" Baird who was the personal secretary of Mr. Lucius Fox. Katie was currently sitting on Annie's desk while Mr. Fox and Mr. Wayne were in a meeting with some CEOs from a company. "Why do you always insist on sitting on my desk? I feel like Mr. Sheffield from _The Nanny_," Annie asked her friend as she typed away on the computer.

"You want me to raise your kids? Won't they be screwed up enough with you as their mom?" Katie joked.

Annie gave her an indignant look, "I think you are confusing the two of us again. I know you want to be like me, but really; you should be your own person." The doors of Bruce's office opened and Bruce was coming out with Lucius and the potential business partners. Everyone was smiling and shaking hands so Annie figured that the deal was on.

"I wouldn't mind being my own person with Bruce Wayne," Katie muttered in Annie's ear. Annie's eyes widened in shock.

"Katie!"

"What? Have you not seen the man from the behind? If you haven't, I find that hard to believe be since you have the best view as his secretary," said Katie.

"Katelyn, could you come here please? We need to know when we have a free spot for another meeting," called Lucius.

"Coming, Mr. Fox," said Katie. She got off Annie's desk and went to Lucius with her black planner which had become her life force.

"Hey, Annie," said Bruce, coming to her desk.

"Files on the Earle Company?" Annie offered, holding the folders out to him. Bruce smiled and took them from her and began to read them while leaning against her desk.

"My old business 'partner' seems to up to a lot of things nowadays," Bruce commented lightly. He closed the file and looked at her, "Will you come into my office please?" Without waiting for her reply he got up and when to his office. Annie got up from her chair and began to walk to his office before she stopped and looked at Katie who was walking away with Lucius.

"Hey, Katie!" Annie called.

Katie turned around and looked at Annie with a curious expression.

"You're right. I do have the best view," she said with a wink. Katie smirked and walked away while Annie entered Bruce's office. He was sitting at his desk while going over the files again. Annie sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk and asked, "What's up boss?"

"I'm having a charity fundraiser for the local schools in Gotham and I was wondering if you were coming," said Bruce. "It's on Saturday, remember?"

"Of course I remember, but I can't go. I'm visiting my mom on Saturday," said Annie.

"You can't visit her a different time?" Bruce asked in disappointment. Annie was fun to have around and Bruce had talked about her so much that Alfred wanted to meet her.

"No, I really can't. She's in the as-hospital. She's in the hospital. She's been sick for awhile so I really want to go visit her. I've missed her," Annie said, unable to believe that she almost slipped about her mom being in Arkham. If Bruce knew, he'd probably fire her in an instant. No one wants the daughter of a nut working for them. Besides, it just made people feel sorry for you and Annie didn't want to be pitied.

Bruce, still a bit stung that she could come, understood. If it was a choice between going to a party with a bunch of stuck up snobs and visiting his sick mom or even seeing his mom again; he would chose his mom in a heartbeat. He sincerely told her, "I hope she gets better soon."

Annie smiled, but he noticed it didn't reach her eyes, "I hope so too…So, why did you want those files about Mr. Earle's company?"

"I like knowing what my competition is up to," said Bruce.

"You like taking the mystery out of life, don't you?"

"Well…I like surprise parties."

"As long as you are in on the surprise."

Bruce smiled, "You've caught me."

They shared a small laugh before Annie sighed. "I should probably get back to my desk. I can't leave that phone unattended to. Who knows who wants to call Bruce Wayne?"

"Go on. I'll talk to you later," said Bruce.

"No problem," said Annie. "I'll see you when you leave." She got up and left his office to go to her desk. Annie sighed as she sat down. "I wish I could go to that party, Bruce," she whispered into the air. Shaking herself out of her depressing mood, Annie went back to work hoping that Saturday wouldn't come.

Annie had to pay an extra 10 bucks to the cab driver to get him to drive her to Arkham Asylum. She didn't blame him for it. Arkham was in the narrows and no one liked travelling there to visit anyone in Arkham, but Annie made a promise and she was going to keep it. After paying the cab driver, she got out of the cab and stared at Arkham Asylum. It was really depressing looking with its moldy, grey walls and iron gates. It looked more like a prison, but the people were nice and Annie could afford to have her mother (Belle Hallowell) there. Annie entered the place and went to the front desk where her favorite clerk, Rhonda, was looking. "Hey, Rhonda," said Annie.

Rhonda, a middle aged African-American woman, started working at Arkham when Annie brought her mother there. She attended to Belle and always made sure she was happy which really took a lot of weight off of Annie's shoulders. "Hello, little darlin.' I take it you're here to visit mama today?"

"Aren't I always?" Annie asked with an easy smile.

"Still haven't improved the wardrobe I see," Rhonda commented. Annie looked down at her baggy jeans that were held tightly to her waist by a belt and yellow shirt.

Annie shrugged her shoulders as she looked back at Rhonda, "Laundry day."

"You should buy smaller clothes or at least eat more to fill out the clothes you've got. You're so skinny," Rhonda said, eying Annie's waist distastefully.

"This is why you're my favorite," Annie replied, smiling. Rhonda gave her a wink and a pass to go to the visiting center of Arkham. Annie walked the familiar path and entered the room where her mother was sitting at a table, playing with cards. "Bonjour, maman," said Annie.

Belle Hallowell had come to American from France and had made sure that her children knew everything about the homeland. She had such pride and passion for her home and it enhanced her beauty. Belle was pale and her golden hair made her look like an angel. The green eyes that Annie inherited were pure, but dull with her medication that the doctors gave her. Belle suffered from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and had terrible nightmares that resulted in her almost murdering because of her fear. For that, she was put into Arkham Asylum.

Belle looked up at her daughter and lit up. "Annette ! Je suis si content que vous êtes venu me visiter aujourd'hui ! Je vous ai manqué." _Annette! I'm so glad that you came to visit me today! I've missed you._

Annie sat down in the chair across from her mother and smiled, "Comment je ne pourrais pas visiter ? Je vous ai manqué aussi. Comment avez-vous été ?" _How could I not visit? __I've missed you too. How have you been?_

"Eh, la vie a été meilleure et cet a été pire. J'ai eu moins de cauchemars. Les médecins pensent qu'ils peuvent abaisser mes médicaments." _Eh, life has been better and it's been worse. I've been having less nightmares. The doctors think they can lower my medication._

"Cela est grande maman. Je suis heureux pour vous. " _That's great mom. I'm happy for you_.

Belle shook her head and took Annie's hand into hers and said in a think, French accent, "Your French eez ztill pretty, my love."

"I learned from the best. Your English had gotten better. Have they been working with you about pronunciation again?" asked Annie.

"Yeah, Rhonda 'as been very good to me," said Belle.

"I'll make her some cookies to tell her thanks," said Annie.

Belle laughed, "You never change, my love. Ztill zo zweet. 'Ow eez your zizter?"

"She's coming back to Gotham. She'll be staying with me for a few weeks until she can find her own place. She got a job here, actually. You'll be seeing her a lot more often," Annie said with a fond smile, thinking of her little sister.

"Your grandmozer eez alzo coming to Gozam zoon. Ze eez excited to zee you," said Belle. Her smile began to fade and she gripped Annie's hands tighter.

"Mom?" Annie asked, fearful of another attack.

"'Ow did you find me you devil?" Belle screamed.

"Doctor!" Annie yelled, looking around the room for someone to help her mom.

"Why are you 'urting me? Stop! Don't 'it my girlz. No! NO!" Belle fell to the ground, curling into a ball as she sobbed. A doctor rushed into the room and gave her a sedative. Belle relaxed immediately and was carried to her room. Annie wiped the few tears that escaped and took the tissue that Dr. Marissa Dowd offered her.

"She still has nightmares about him hitting us?" Annie asked dismally.

"Annie, there's no easy way to say this…I don't think your mother will ever be able to get her old life back. Yes, she's able to carry on hours at a time without an attack, but the nightmares are worse than ever," said Marissa.

Annie wiped away a few more tears and chuckled darkly, "Then I guess we shouldn't lessen her medication." Shaking her head, she stood, and began to pace around the room. Marissa looked on sadly. She knew how hard it was for families to cope with a loved one's mental problems. It was especially hard when you had to do it alone. Luckily, Marissa hired Annie's sister, knowing that it would be a comfort for both daughters and their mother. "Well, doc, thanks for taking care of her…and thanks for giving my sister a job. I think I'll just go," said Annie.

"Of course," Marissa said understandingly. Annie walked back to the front desk and gave her pass back to Rhonda.

"So the gossip is that your sister is coming to work here," said Rhonda.

"She is. She's coming to Gotham next week," said Annie. "Well, I gotta go. Bye, Rhonda." Annie almost made it to the doors when Rhonda called out to her.

"Wait! What's your sister's name?" asked Rhonda.

Annie turned around and answered, "Harleen Quinzel." Annie went home and continued on with her day.


	3. Interesting

A/N: Hi everybody. Thanks for all of the support and reviews. I did a fangirl squeal each time I got a review. Really, I squealed. Anyways, I don't have that much to report. This chapter focuses more on Bruce than Annie so it's a bit shorter. Um…I have a really big research paper due soon so if I don't update, that'd be why (just forewarning). I believe that's all. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman *runs away weeping***

**Chapter 3: Interesting**

It was Sunday afternoon and Bruce was peacefully asleep in his bed, until his butler/guardian decided to come into his bedroom. Alfred Pennyworth was the man's name. He was a man of no nonsense with a lot of opinions (that Bruce sometimes wished he would keep to himself). Alfred opened Bruce's bedroom curtains and allowed the wicked light to shine right into Bruce's eyes. "It's Sunday! Why can't I sleep more?" Bruce groaned, pulling his covers over his head.

"Because you bloody dates won't stop calling and I demand that you answer. I can't take their voices anymore," said Alfred.

"You're the one who wanted me to be a playboy," Bruce pointed in a futile attempt to win the argument. He finally sighed and pushed off his covers, revealing a magnificent body covered only by a pair of pajama pants (A/N: I freely admit that I am attracted to Christian Bale). He sat up and after drinking some weird, green liquid he went to the floor to do his daily push-ups. "Did you get that file on Annie?"

"Of course I did. There is quite a bit to this young woman. She's 28 years old, has a sister who has a doctorate in psychology, her mother is in Arkham—"

"Her mother is in Arkham?" Bruce exclaimed, stopping his push-ups. "Annie only told me she was in the hospital." He stood and took the file from Alfred's hands, reading everything for himself.

"Well how many people do you know who like to admit that their mother is in an asylum?" Alfred pointed out bluntly.

"It only says that her mom is there due to Posttraumatic Syndrome, but it doesn't say the cause. Could you get the file from Arkham?" Bruce asked, looking up at Alfred.

"I tried, Master Bruce, but even I couldn't get it. Those records are sealed tightly. I don't think you could even bribe someone to give you the file."

"It also says that she speaks French."

"I would hope so since her mother's side of the family are from France."

"Annie's birthday is next month. I should probably get her something; right?"

Alfred looked at Bruce sternly with his clear blue eyes, "Are you asking as her employer or as someone hoping to be romantically involved with her?"

"Come on, Alfred, I'm not looking for someone anymore. I learned my lesson with Rachel," Bruce said, choking out Rachel's name. It had been a year since her death, but the wounds were still raw. Bruce knew he couldn't handle any kind of commitment again and it would be unfair to anyone if he promised anything.

"All the same, Master Bruce, I think it wise to be careful. Love can be painful and I would hate to see you or Miss Hallowell in that pain," said Alfred. "Then again, anything worth having includes hard work. I saw her picture. She really is a lovely girl with brown curls and eyes—"

"Her eyes are green," Bruce corrected, a warm fondness settling in his voice. Alfred smirked and Bruce immediately realized that he was tricked into admitting some romantic intentions toward Annie.

"Like I said before, Master Bruce, be careful. That girl seems to be doing you a world of good and I'd like it to stay that way," said Alfred. Nodding his head to Bruce, he left the room and shut the door behind him.

Bruce sat down on his bed and read more of Annie's file. Annie's mom was admitted into Arkham when Annie was 14 (for a reason still unknown to him), her dad died when she was 18, her sister ran off and married a rich man named John Quinzel who had died of a heart attack at the age of 63, and Annie had been on her own. She had also been named as her mother's primary caretaker by the time she had her first job and was in charge of paying the bills that Arkham sent. She went to Gotham University and was in the top ten percentile in her class, she earned a degree in business and architecture, and she had a mountain of debt. Bruce read more and more in amazement as he finally realized the full extent of what Annie meant when she said she had more balls than other people.

There was also a picture included in the file and Bruce looked at it with a small smile on his face. The picture was a few years old. Annie's long, curly hair was dark brown and reached her mid-back while the color contrasted nicely with her ivory skin. Her big green eyes were alight with life, but held a sad reality of knowing the horror life could be. Her smile was sweet and Bruce couldn't help but notice how attractive she was. He had first thought she was a plain Jane, but now he knew where to look for her beauty.

Reading over her file again, Bruce decided that Batman needed to a pay a visit to Arkham Asylum. He waited until it was dark and drove to the place without being noticed. This continued as he walked through the building to get to the records. He finally found the correct room and searched through the filing cabinets for Belle Hallowell's file. When he began to read it his eyes went wide with horror. How could anyone do such tortuous things to an innocent woman and her two little girls? Batman put the file back (after taking pictures of it) and snuck back to Wayne Manor where he had to tell Alfred about the terrible secret Annie was hiding.


	4. Oops

A/N: Hello everybody, I know I said don't expect an update in awhile, but I forgot that I have a long weekend from school which gives me plenty of time to update…YAY! Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing. I try so hard to listen to your inputs so that this can be the best story possible. The reviews are lovely and so supportive and I squeal with happiness each time I get one, so please keep them coming! Other than that…I've got nothing. Story time!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman…or Alfred…or Lucius Fox…or anything to do with the Batman phenomenon. Please excuse me while I go cry because of this fact.**

**Chapter Four: Oops**

Bruce had no idea what to do when he got off of the elevator and walked toward his office in Wayne Tower. How could he not confront Annie about what he found out, but then she would know he was snooping and would quit and he didn't want that. Trying to keep his cool, Bruce walked to his office door where Annie was waiting for him with a smile on her face. "Good morning, Mr. Wayne," she told him brightly. Today was one of those days where Bruce had no choice, but to go into work. He hated Mondays with a burning passion that would put a teenager to shame.

"Morning, Annie," he replied while trying to stifle a yawn.

Annie smiled sympathetically at him, "Long weekend?"

"Something like that." Bruce opened the door for Annie and walked into his office. He went to his desk and sat down in his chair. He powered on his computer while Annie began telling him about his day.

"Okay, so you have a couple of meetings today. Your first meeting is at ten it's with that superintendent I was tell you about—Mrs. Murdoch who is in charge of Gotham's public schools. She's hoping to convince you to donate some money to the schools so they can get new books—"

"Just give her as much as she needs and cancel that meeting," Bruce interrupted.

"You don't want to do that," said Annie, a bit ruffled that she was cut off.

Bruce scoffed and raised his eyebrows at her, "Why do I not want to do that?"

"Because if you do then she will tell all her friends how you just threw money at her and all of them will come begging for money. You'd have meetings until your death. Besides, it's a bit rude considering she must have put a lot of time in to make a presentation that would convince you to donate to the school," Annie answered, trying to stifle her own yawn. Bruce looked at her closely and noticed the dark circles under her eyes that were poorly concealed by make-up.

"Long weekend?" Bruce asked her softly.

"You could say that."

"How's your mom?"

Annie tensed, but answered, "She's been better. The doctors don't want to let her go home yet."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. Annie began to blush so Bruce let her hand go before he could cause her further embarrassment. After clearing his throat he asked, "So what else is going on today?"

By the time the day was done all Annie wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep. Bruce had left a couple of hours ago so Annie was alone (aside from the maintenance guys). After she finished copying a few files, Annie locked her desk and shut off her computer. She put on her coat and went down stairs where the cab she called was waiting for her. She got in and told the cab driver where to go. When the driver reached the street, Annie paid her and got out. The taxi was gone and Annie looked up to the door of her apartment building where two guys were standing in front of it while smoking. "Can I help you?" Annie asked in a suspicious voice.

One of the guys took a puff of his cigarette and blew the smoke in her face.

Annie coughed and waved her hand in front of her face to get rid of the smoke. "What do you want?"

"We're looking for somebody," the second guy said.

"We all are. Who are you looking for?"

The first guy spoke up, "We're looking for a guy named Robert Moseley. We're told that he lives here. Which apartment is he in?"

"Robert Moseley? He moved out a few months ago," said Annie. Robert Moseley was a quiet man who lived next to Annie. He kept to himself, but if you asked him for help then he'd give you a hand. He suddenly moved out three months ago and Annie hadn't heard from him since.

"Is that a fact?" The second guy threw his cigarette away and stepped so that he was inches away from Annie. She took an involuntary step back and the guys smirked.

Annie inwardly groaned, _Nice going. Now they're going to think you're easy prey_. "Look, he moved out and no one around here knows where he is. Why don't you just leave?"

"Well, Mikey and I think we should thank you for all of your help. Don't you agree Mikey?"

The first guy, Mikey, smirked so widely that Annie could see his teeth, "I do agree, Sammy."

"You can thank me by leaving and never coming back," said Annie.

"Awe, come on, don't be such a stiff," Sammy cooed, grabbing Annie's arm tightly.

"Is there a problem here?" a raspy voiced asked. Sammy and Mikey went still instantly and stared in fear at the moving shadow.

_Moving shadow?_ Annie asked herself. Suddenly, Batman was there and before Annie knew it; Sammy and Mikey were gone. She looked after them and then looked at Batman. She had heard the rumors about the Dark Knight of Gotham. He had killed Harvey Dent and some cops, but those rumors never made sense to Annie. Why would someone who was doing such good suddenly turn into a mass murderer? If he was so bad, why did he just save her? He was as handsome as all the women of Gotham gossiped. You could tell his strength and muscles from the armor and when he was staring with those eyes…well most girls just swooned. Annie was certain that if he kept staring at her so intensely she would be one of those girls.

"Are you alright?" Batman asked her, eying her as she continued to stare at him.

Annie nodded and took a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for your help."

"You should be more careful."

Annie rolled her eyes, "What am I supposed to do? Build an underground tunnel that leads to my apartment? I don't have the money for that."

"I was thinking more like carrying some pepper spray with you or taking some self-defense classes," Batman told her in tone that made her feel stupid.

"Oh." Annie's face began turning a brilliant shade of red as Batman smirked at her. "Yeah…that probably would help me out a little bit. Okay, so this has gotten very awkward and before I seem even more stupid I'm going to go inside. Thanks for the help, Batman." Annie got out her key to open the building's door and was surprised when Batman was still there. She unlocked the door.

"Good night, Annie," said Batman. Annie, who had been facing the door, whipped her head to where Batman was, but he was gone. Annie opened the door, took her key, and went to her apartment.

_Batman knows my name? No way. This has got to be a mistake, unless he's a creepy stalker or something, but I've never met him before. But I don't know his real identity so he could be someone I know. Lovely, I've got a supposed murderer for a stalker. No, that's not true. I probably just imagined it. Yeah, I imagined it. Great, now I'm going insane talking to myself in my head. I'll probably have a room next to mom's room in Arkham._ "Ugh, bah-humbug this situation!" Annie exclaimed to herself. She reached her apartment and opened the door and was surprised to see someone in it, waiting for her. "Harleen?" Annie asked.

Bruce couldn't believe what he did. After he made his rounds and went back home, he took off the bat suit and was beating himself up about slipping Annie's name. "I'm an idiot!" Bruce exclaimed to himself.

"Pardon, Master Bruce, but why are you an idiot?" Alfred asked, coming into the bat cave with a newspaper and a glass of green liquid.

"I said good night to Annie," Bruce answered.

"What is idiotic about that?"

"I said it as Batman."

"Oh, that will cause you a problem."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Miss Hallowell's sister is in town and will be living with Miss Hallowell until she can find her own place," said Alfred with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

Bruce just gave him a look of annoyance, "Alfred, do you think Annie could figure out that I'm Batman?"

"Well, Master Bruce, she is a very smart girl. It is possible for her to figure her out," said Alfred. "I suppose that's why you're so interested in her."

"I'm not interested in her," Bruce said too quickly to be believed.

"Of course not, sir," said Alfred. "Well, I'll leave you to your sleep." With that, Alfred turned and walked away from Bruce who was thinking about what to do about Annie.


	5. Changes

A/N: Hello sweet readers/reviewers. Um…I don't have much to say except for thank you for all of the reviews. They mean so much and compel me to write so much more ;) Thank you everyone!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any characters that belong to the creators. **

**Chapter Five: Changes**

Annie walked to her desk as she thought about what happened the night before.

_Flashback:_

_ "Harleen?" Annie asked as she entered her apartment. Annie closed the door behind her and locked it as her little sister grinned at her. Harleen Quinzel was a beautiful woman in her sister's eyes. Harleen had blond hair that reached a few inches below her shoulders and that seemed to glow. She was very fit and enjoyed roller skating outside where she gained a tan that made her look prettier. Blue eyes sparkled and pink lips from a delicate face that Annie believed held all the love in the world. _

"_Hi Annette," Harleen said with a strong Brooklyn accent she got from living with her husband in a nice house._

"_What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until Saturday," said Annie. She threw her purse and coat on the table that was to her right and hugged her little sister. _

"_Well, I missed you too much to wait that long. I wanted to see by big sis," said Harleen._

"_Harley-girl you have no idea how much I missed you too!" Annie exclaimed. The sisters hugged for a moment longer before letting go so that Annie could go to the kitchen and start some tea. "So are you going to Arkham tomorrow?" Annie asked as she filled the teapot with water from the sink. She placed it on the gas stove top which had a fire going._

"_Yeah, they're glad I'm starting early. I guess they're short on doctors or something like that," said Harley. "So…how's mom?"_

_Annie sighed, "I'm not going to lie to you; she's pretty bad. She's still having those nightmares and the doctors don't think she'll ever be able to get a normal life again. They don't want to lower her meds either."_

"_Wow, I didn't know she was so bad. Why didn't you tell me?" Harley asked, coming to the kitchen with her arms crossed in front of her._

"_I didn't want you to worry. You were working on becoming a doctor and I didn't want you to stop. We have to fight so hard for what we want and you were winning the fight. Besides, I knew you could be more help once you got your degree. Now you can check on mom and we don't have to be so worried," said Annie. _

"_It's not fair that you did all the work alone," said Harley._

"_Don't worry about it. I'm fine and so is mom. Now, tell me all about school," said Annie._

"_Well, Johnny paid for everything. He left me some money after his death, but I used that to pay for school and to buy a place here in a good neighborhood. School was fun. I made friends and I got good grades," Harley said, obviously proud of herself. _

"_That's great. So you already got a place in Gotham?"_

"_Well, I'm still working on some of the details, but I should be able to move in by next week."_

"_Wow, you certainly got everything settled quickly. I'm really proud of you, Harley," said Annie. She gave her baby sister a watery smile as tears rushed to her green eyes._

_Harley tried to keep the tears in her own eyes, but a few escaped. "Annie, can't we ever get together without crying?" _

"_Probably not," Annie said with a chuckle that sounded half way like a sob. The sisters hugged again and wiped away the tears and spent the rest of the night talking and reconnecting._

_End Flashback_

Annie smiled as she put away the thoughts from last night. Bruce came in and saw the smile on Annie's face and involuntarily smiled. "Did you have good night?" Bruce asked her, standing in front of her desk.

Annie grinned, "It was amazing. My sister is back in Gotham. We spent the whole night talking and I'm not at all tired."

"Your sister means a lot to you."

"She's my best friend."

"That's great. You know…I'm having another party next Saturday. I'd love for you and your sister to come. You know, you owe me for cancelling last time. I was lonely last Saturday," Bruce said with a charming smile.

"You don't hear the word 'no' often, do you?"

"Most people say that I'm too charming to say no to."

"Most people aren't your secretary."

"Which means that you should be there all the more."

Annie shook her head and chuckled, "I'll talk to my sister and see if we can fit you into our busy social schedule."

"How kind of you," said Bruce. He began to walk away, but came back to her desk. "Hey, Annie."

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to join me for lunch today?"

"Lunch is in an hour."

"So?" Bruce looked at her with hopeful eyes that melted her heart.

"Okay," she answered.

Bruce grinned at her, "Great!" With a wink, he went into his office and Katie (who saw this entire thing take place) rushed up to Annie.

"Did that really just happen?" Katie asked with obvious glee.

"Did what really just happen?"

Katie gave her an incredulous look, "Bruce Wayne just asked you out on a date!"

Annie raised her eyebrows at her friend, "We're just going to lunch. It's not a big deal. We're going as friends."

"When did you two ever establish you were friends? As far as I was ever aware: you were employer and employee. Plus, he invited you to a party…and your sister too! How often do you think bosses do that?" Katie's excitement grew as Annie grasped what happened.

"Bruce Wayne asked me out on a date? Are you sure? He never actually said it was a date." Annie looked up at her friend with innocent eyes.

"Even if it's not a date, thought it really sounds like it is, you get to spend some _alone_ time with Mr. Bruce Wayne and that can never be a bad thing," Katie said in a low, suggesting tone.

Annie laughed at her friend, "Is that all you ever think about?"

"No, but it might be 90 percent of the time. What can I say? Women have needs too."

"You're ridiculous."

"Yep and you've got a date. So finish up work so you can go."

An hour later, Bruce came out of his office to see Annie putting on her coat. "Are you ready to go?" he asked her.

Annie gave him a smile and answered, "Yeah, let's go." Grabbing her purse, she followed Bruce out Wayne Tower and headed to the parking lot with him. "So, where are we going?"

"Where would you like to go?"

Annie thought for a moment and replied with a smile, "Have you ever been to Mama's Café?"

"No."

"I'm not surprised. Come on, we can walk there." Annie took Bruce's arm and led him down the street. They walked for a little while and when they were near the park, they took a sharp turn to the right where a sweet looking diner stood. It was a simple, one story building with huge glass windows where Mama's Café was painted on them in decorative painting. A bell chimed as Annie opened the door and led Bruce inside. There was a long counter with bar stools and a lot of oak tables with matching chairs. The sun came through the windows and gave the place a warm glow that made everyone feel welcome. A few people said hello to Annie and she led Bruce to one of the smaller tables that was made for two people.

"I'll be with ya in second, sugar," a woman's voice called out.

"We're not in a rush Mama McClain," Annie called back.

"This seems like a nice place," said Bruce.

"I'm sure it's not what you're used to, but it has a…charm to it," said Annie.

"What would you like kids?" asked a woman's voice. Bruce and Annie looked to see a small, plump woman with curly red hair and a warm smile on her face.

"Hi Mama McClain," said Annie.

"Annie! How have you been baby?" Mama McClain exclaimed, giving Annie a hug. She let Annie go and looked at Bruce. "And who is this fine looking gentleman who has the pleasure of your company?"

"This is my boss, Bruce Wayne. Bruce, this is Mama McClain; the finest cook in all of Gotham," said Annie.

Bruce smiled and shook Mama McClain's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, honey. Now have you decided what you wanted?"

"I'd like some delicious pancakes please!" Annie asked politely.

"You got it…and you fine sir?"

"Um…I guess I'll have some pancakes too, please," said Bruce.

"You got it. I'll be right back with that. I assume you'd like some coffee?" Mama McClain asked. They nodded happily and Mama McClain went off to fulfill their order.

"Where did you find this place?" Bruce asked Annie as Mama McClain came back to give them coffee and then left again.

"My mom used to take my sister and me here when we where little. You can almost say I grew up in here."

"Ah…so pancakes?"

"I try to make pancakes and they always come out burnt. Mama McClain makes the best pancakes anyway. So are you going to take your next business meeting here?" Annie asked with a smile.

"I'd definitely get their attention," said Bruce.

"Yeah…so why did you ask me out to lunch anyways?"

"I just wanted to get to know you better." It was the truth. Bruce wanted to know Annie better, but whether it was for romantic purposes or to find out what she knew about Batman; he didn't know.

"Do you do this for all of your employees?"

"No, but you're special."

Annie blushed and they enjoyed the rest of lunch talking about anything and everything. When they got back to the office, neither could get the smile off of their faces. They weren't sure how or if this changed their relationship, but it was totally the best non-date date ever! 


	6. Unexpected

A/N: I'm back and with a new chapter! Yay! Keep the reviews coming—they make me all fuzzy and tingly inside. Thank you :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or anything that you recognize. I do, however, own Annie so please leave her alone. She's so shy!**

**Chapter Six: Unexpected **

Annie went home and found her sister at the stove. "What are you doing?" Annie asked, hanging her coat and purse on the hook next to the door.

"I'm trying to make dinner, but I think your stove is broken," Harley answered.

"My stove is not broken—you can't cook. You might remember that you didn't take Home Ec. high school," said Annie, going to her sister's side. "Scoot." Harley got out of her way and hopped onto the counter on the opposite side of the room. She got out a pot and filled it up with some water from the kitchen tap. She put the pot on one of the burners and turned it on so the water would boil so she could cook noodles for spaghetti. She then went to the counter and hopped on to sit next to her sister.

"So how was work?" Harley asked.

"It was fine. You know my boss, Bruce Wayne?"

"I know of him, yeah."

"Well, I had lunch with him today at Mama's Café."

"Ooo! Starting up a little office romance? With your boss I wouldn't blame you!" Harley giggled and Annie could only roll her eyes.

"Anyway, Bruce has invited us to a party he's having next Saturday. Do you want to come?"

"Do birds fly?" Harley exclaimed. She jumped off the counter and began jumping around happily. "We're going to a Bruce Wayne party! Do you not get how big this is?"

"It's a party with a bunch of rich snobs," said Annie.

"But it was Bruce Wayne who invited you! He _personally _invited you to his party. How often do you think he does that?"

"You are making a mountain out of a molehill. Did you check the messages on the phone?" Annie hopped off of the counter and put noodles into the boiling water.

"Not yet. I'll do that now," said Harley. She went to the phone and pressed the play button.

"One new message," the robotic voice said.

A new voice took over in a French accent (A/N: I know she wouldn't speak English so well, but to save time I'm just going to write in proper English. Just say the lines with a French accent in your head), "Annie, darling, it's grandma Lorraine. I'm coming to the States! I'll be there by next Friday. I can't wait to see you! Is Harley with you? I guess I'll find out. Love you, dear!"

Harley chuckled, "Think she'd want to come to the party with us?"

"She usually is the life of a party," said Annie. They sisters laughed and Annie finished a

dinner that they both enjoyed happily.

_He just had to make me go to the bank_, Annie thought angrily to herself. It was a very hectic Friday. Grandma Lorraine was coming to visit today and Annie spent of all of last week and this one to makes things perfect for her. Annie loved her grandma. She had to be the most unique person in the world. Lorraine told such wonderful stories that all Annie ever wanted to do was sit and listen to her for hours and hours. As it were, Bruce asked her to go to the bank to cash a check of some company that Wayne Enterprises merged with. Annie waited in line anxiously, shuffling from one foot to the next. _Come on! Hurry up!_ Annie thought furiously to the lady behind the counter.

Annie was having a bad day. Harley tried to cook again and burnt breakfast which made Annie have no food for the morning. She spilt coffee on her skirt and had to change quickly into a pant suit. Then she couldn't get a taxi until five minutes before she had to be in the office. Then the heel on her favorite shoes broke. She arrived late to work and was getting crap from all the sluts at work who wanted her job so they could stare at Bruce all of the time. She almost deleted all of the files that Bruce needed to know about the company he was merging with (she didn't delete them, thank God). Then Bruce asked her to drop a check off at the bank which put Annie's nerves on the fritz because she expected Lorraine to arrive soon. There was no way the day could get worse…

Never say these words when you're having a bad day…

Some men rushed into the bank and began firing shots into the air. Everyone screamed and immediately dropped to the marble floor. Annie felt her heart drop to her stomach as she saw the men were wearing clown masks. That meant Joker was the one robbing the bank and there was no way to get out alive unless Batman came. Apparently everyone else felt the same. The guy who was in front of Annie in line whispered, "We are so screwed."

Annie looked around frightfully as the men barked at the quivering clerks to empty out all of the cash. Then the worst sight came in—the Joker. "So sorry to cut in line. You know, I hate when people do that to me, but I show them a little magic trick. I make a gun appear and blast their brains away!" Joker exclaimed and gave a cackling laugh. Annie grimaced and mentally begged the floor to swallow her. Then someone nudged her shoulder with their foot. Annie looked up to see Joker grinning at her. "Why hello pretty girl."

"Um…hi?"

"Whatcha doing on the floor?"

"Hoping that you and your accomplices don't hurt or kill anyone," Annie answered.

Joker cackled again, "Aren't you just a saint?"

Annie could only stare at his face and all of the scars.

Joker noticed her focus and grinned, "Do you wanna know how I got these scars?" He roughly grabbed her arm and hoisted her onto her feet. Annie tried to back away, but his grip tightened and he held a knife to her throat. "Now where do you think you're going?"

"Somewhere away from you," said a raspy voice. Batman knocked Joker away from Annie and she crouched against the counter. Annie looked around. She had even noticed that the henchmen were already taken out and all of the hostages (except for her) were running out of the bank. Batman and Joker were tearing ferociously at each other. Neither held back as they continued their fight. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your view), Joker tripped and Batman took him down easily. Commissioner Jim Gordon and two other cops came in. The two cops took Joker away while Jim Gordon knelt down next to Annie.

"Are you hurt, sweetheart?" Jim asked. Annie knew that he was trying not to scare her more and wasn't being sexist. Jim Gordon was something of a legend in Gotham. He was one of the few good cops who actually upheld the law. He defended the weak and there was no cop his better. He was a middle aged man with brown hair and glasses. He gave her a kind smile and helped to her feet gently. Jim turned to Batman who was surprisingly still there. "Do you think Arkham will be able to help Joker?"

"I don't know. We can only hope so," said Batman. "Are you alright, miss?"

"Yes, thank you…again. You always seem to come at the right time," said Annie. She offered him a small smile and he nodded at her.

Jim added to the conversation and said, "We'll need to get you down to the police station to get your statement Miss…?"

"Hallowell. My name is Annette Hallowell, but I prefer Annie," said Annie. They both looked back to where Batman was and they saw that he was gone. "How does he do that?"

"I have no idea." Jim led her to a cop car and took her to the police station while news crews and newspaper writers bombarded them with questions and pictures.

Bruce walked hurriedly into the police station. Something snapped in him when he saw Joker hold a blade to her throat. He was furious and had every intention of protecting Annie. After someone told him that she was in Commissioner Gordon's office, he sped off. He found the right place and knocked on the door. Jim Gordon opened it. "Mr. Wayne! Please come in," said Jim. He let Bruce enter the room and closed the door. Bruce's eyes swiftly went to Annie who was in a chair with a blanket around her shoulders.

"Bruce, what are you doing here?" Annie asked, surprised that he had come to check on her. Bruce went to her side and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," said Bruce. His eyes scanned the office. It was neat and totally Jim. The desk was toward the back of the room so that when Jim sat down, his back was to the windows. There were filing cabinets on the right wall while the left wall was decorated with certificates newspaper articles that showed the good side of Gotham's police force. On his desk were pictures of his family, a lamp, and a computer. There were a couple of chairs in front of his desk and overall the room felt safe.

"I'm alright. I owe Batman for saving my life again. Who knows what the Joker would've done to me if Batman hadn't showed up?" said Annie. She lifted one of her hands from her lap and placed it on top of Bruce's hand. "Oh no!"

"What?" both men asked her unison.

"My grandmother is coming into town today and I'm supposed to get her," said Annie.

"Don't worry. I'll send Alfred to get her," said Bruce.

"She doesn't trust strangers."

"Smart woman," Jim inputted sardonically.

Annie chuckled, "You have no idea."

"Why don't you call her and tell her the situation? I'll drive you home," offered Bruce.

"Okay," Annie said, giving in. She took the cell phone that Bruce held out to her and called her grandmother and got the inbox. After leaving a message Annie gave the phone back to Bruce. "She must still be on her plane. She didn't answer. So, commissioner, is it alright if I leave?"

"Of course. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me," said Jim.

"Thanks," said Annie. She took the blanket from her shoulders and handed it to him. Gathering her purse and coat, Bruce and Annie walked out of the office and out of the station. They went to the parking lot where Bruce's expensive car stood proudly and got in. They didn't say much on the way to Annie's home. She gave him directions and they arrived quickly to the apartment building. Bruce parked and walked Annie to her apartment. They entered the place and Annie let Bruce in, closing the door behind him. "Home sweet home. You know, you didn't have to come and get me. I could've gotten a taxi or a ride from Katie. How did you even know where I was in the first place?"

"The robbery was on the news," Bruce answered casually. He looked over Annie's place. It was warm and comfortable. It was small, but perfect for one or two people. When you walked in the door, the dining room was immediately to your right while the living room was to your left. The kitchen was a few feet away and at the end of the one hallway were two bedrooms and a bathroom. Bruce turned back to Annie. "I did want to come. I told you: you're special."

"Special how?" asked Annie. She walked passed him and plopped onto her couch and gestured for him to join her which he did. "You are a complicated man, Bruce Wayne."

"To be honest, I see you as more of a friend than an employee. You're honest with me, Annie, and I really like that. You're funny and you just make my day better. You're special," Bruce answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Do you see me as more than a friend?" Annie gauged his reaction. Bruce stilled for a moment, his muscles obviously tense. He looked into Annie's green eyes and relaxed a bit. Hi shoulders slumped and Bruce looked at her with such a torn expression that Annie felt her heart tear with him.

"I don't know," he told her carefully. "I…I lost someone very dear to me. I thought she was the one, but now I'm doubting that and it makes me uneasy. I don't want to make a promise I can't keep, Annie. I don't want to hurt you. I don't think it's fair to you to enter a relationship with you and I'm not even sure about how I feel. But, please, know that I do care about you and I will do anything to help you."

"Well, if that wasn't heart-wrenchingly sweet then I don't know what is. I'm not going to lie. I am attracted to you, Bruce, and if you want to start something serious; then call me up. But I will not be one of those models that you're always with and I will not enter a relationship that has no future. If you want a relationship with me, then we're going to have to work on it," said Annie.

Bruce smiled, "I could try that. I'm not really great a relationships, though."

"You haven't found the right girl yet."

"I'm going to have to disagree with that."

Annie blushed and stood, "So…do you want to stay around for a bit?"

"Actually, I have to head back to the office for a bit and then I have to go home to help set up for the party tomorrow. Are you still coming?" Bruce asked, standing up.

"Yeah, I'll still come and I'll be coming with my sister and grandma as well," said Annie. She walked Bruce to the door where he did something unexpected. He hugged her. Annie wrapped her arms around him and noticed just how well his muscles were formed. He was also very warm which was always a plus in her book.

Bruce gave her a gentle squeeze and noticed how soft she was. They let go and Bruce left. Annie locked her door and groaned. She would be interested in the man who was interested in her, but wasn't ready to enter a relationship. Men were so confusing!


	7. Party

A/N: Hi everybody! Thanks for all the reviews. They are so sweet and I just get so happy when I read them. Please keep it up. I really do love reviews. Pretty please with an imaginary cherry on top :) Oh, and if you realize that the French is wrong; please tell me.

**Disclaimer: As it were, I don't own Batman…Sadness…**

**Chapter 7: Party**

After Bruce left, Annie got a taxi to go to the airport. She waited in the terminal for her grandmother. Annie loved her grandma. She was one of the most eccentric women a person could ever meet. Annie loved spending hours with grandma Lorraine who would tell Annie stories of her childhood. Annie's favorite was the story of how Lorraine met her husband (Annie's grandpa). Annie shoved thoughts of the past out of her head as Lorraine's plane was unloading. Annie looked around for her grandma and was surprised when someone wrapped their arms around her from behind. Annie yelled out of surprised and turned around to see her grandma smirking at her. "Grandma Lorraine!" Annie exclaimed happily, forgetting her rapidly beating heart which was settling down. She wrapped her arms around the elder woman who returned the affection with great vigor.

"Oh, my little Annie! It's been too long," said Lorraine. She held Annie at arm's length and both feasted their eyes on the other. Lorraine was still the beautiful woman that Annie remembered. She was short and curvy with short, graying hair and sparkling green eyes that matched Annie's. Lorraine's skin was tan from being outdoors so much and looked so soft. She had wrinkles, but Annie thought they only enhanced her beauty. Lorraine smiled softly and she looked at her granddaughter, "Il a été trop long, mon petit Annie. Je ne peux pas croire comment te développé soyez. Je me rappelle toujours la petite fille qui m'a aidé à faire des biscuits cuire au four pour Noël. Vous êtes aussi beau que votre mère." _It's been too long, my little Annie. I can't believe how grown you are. I still remember the little girl who helped me bake cookies for Christmas. You are as beautiful as your mother._

Annie smiled in return, "Je me suis ennuyé de toi, grand-maman. Je ne peux pas croire que nous ne nous sommes pas vus dans tellement longtemps. Êtes-vous bon ? Comment le reste de la famille va-t-il en France?" _I've missed you, grandma. I can't believe we haven't seen each other in so long. Are you well? How's the rest of the family in France?_

"They are all fine and as am I. We're all curious about our Annie and Harley. Where is Harley anyway?"

"She's still at work, but she'll be at home tonight. Come on, let's go get you settled," said Annie. They gathered Lorraine's bags and got into the taxi and headed to Annie's apartment.

"You know, Annie, you really should get your own car. What was the point of getting your license if you don't even have a car?" Lorraine said as they were getting out of the taxi. Annie paid the driver and Lorraine and Annie headed up the stairs.

"I'll get a car eventually, grandma, but right now it's not in my budget. Besides, plenty of people have their licenses and don't have a car," said Annie. She let her grandma into the apartment and carried her bags to the bedroom.

"You only have two bedrooms? Where will you and Harley sleep?" Lorraine asked as she explored the room. She didn't want one of the girls to sleep on the couch on her account.

"Harley and I will share my room. It'll only be for a couple of nights. She's moving out on Sunday. It's not a big deal. Anyways, my boss is holding a party tomorrow and we've been invited. Do you want to come? Harley and I really want to, but if you'd rather stay here then we will too," said Annie, hoping her grandma would go to the party. Her face softened as she thought about seeing Bruce and Lorraine noticed.

"Of course I'll come. You are young, vibrant girls. You should be enjoying yourselves at parties that handsome men throw," said Lorraine, eying her granddaughter slyly.

Annie blushed, "What makes you think he's handsome?"

"The fact that you are blushing right now. Besides, I know that look. I can see when a woman has feelings for a man. You forget that I was once like that," said Lorraine. "My 67 years give me a lot of wisdom."

"I've never doubted it. You are right: he is attractive. His name is Bruce Wayne…and I think he's interested in me too," said Annie. She looked down at the floor with blazing red cheeks.

"Of course he's interested. You are a Hallowell! Not only is there beauty in your face, but you are smart and sweet and any man should consider himself lucky to have your attention and affection," Lorraine exclaimed with great passion.

"Thank you, grandma," said Annie.

"I'll always tell you the truth, my little Annie," said Lorraine. The front door opened to reveal Harley. Lorraine and Annie met her in the dining room where Harley hugged her grandma tightly.

"Grandma! I can't believe I haven't seen you in so long. How are you?" asked Harley, giving her grandma another hug.

"I am well, but enough about me. What about you? You are a doctor now! You must be helping so many people," Lorraine said proudly.

Harley beamed with pleasure. "Things are great. I got a new patient today. I'll be treating Joker!"

"WHAT?" Annie exclaimed.

Lorraine and Harley looked bewildered. "What is wrong? Who is this Joker?" asked Lorraine.

"He's an insane murderer. He was just caught by Batman today while robbing a bank," Annie explained. "They put you on his case? I'm not sure that you should, Harley."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harley asked angrily, offended that her sister didn't have faith in her. "You don't think I can treat him?"

"Harley, that's not it. I know you can help him, but I don't want you in danger and he is a really sick and twisted man. He held a knife to my throat today and I don't want anything to happen to you," said Annie.

"He held a knife to your throat? Where is this bastard? I will go kill him!" Lorraine exclaimed, going to her room to get the gun she always kept with her.

Annie and Harley, who knew that she was serious, ran into her room. "Grandma, you can't do this. It's not right. If you kill him then we are no better than him!" said Annie.

"No one hurts my family and gets away with it!"

"Grandma! For my sake, please, don't do this!"

"Grandma, I will help him," said Harley. "You won't have to worry about him hurting Annie after I've treated him."

"Fine, for right now the bastard may live," Lorraine grumbled, putting her gun away. An awkward silence fell upon the group of women. They looked at each other and then at the floor or wall until Lorraine threw her hands in the air and said, "We are acting like ridiculous idiots!" The trio laughed and the tension lessened.

"I agree. Let's have some dinner and forget all about this day. Then we can pick our outfits for the party tomorrow," said Annie. They smiled and ate a lovely dinner, catching up on the last few years.

/V/V/V/V/V

Annie couldn't believe she was here. It was Saturday and she was in Bruce Wayne's mansion for a huge party that celebrated the rebuilt mansion. A few years ago, Bruce was drunk and apparently burnt his home down. Now, it was fixed and it was beautiful. "Wow," she whispered. She couldn't remember ever seeing a mansion this huge.

Harley whistled beside her and said suggestively, "Think he's compensating for something?"

"Harleen!" Annie hissed.

From her other side, Lorraine tried to hold back her laughter, but a few chuckles escaped. She shrugged apologetically to her oldest granddaughter.

Annie rolled her eyes, "I deny all knowledge of either of you tonight."

"You worry too much. It's a party, Annie. Have some fun!" Harley exclaimed.

"I don't think I've ever seen Annie have fun. I was hoping to see some of it tonight," said a male's voice. The trio turned their heads to see Bruce Wayne in front of them with an easy smile on his face.

Annie blushed and gestured to the women at her sides, "Bruce, this is my sister Harley and my grandma Lorraine."

Bruce took both of their hands and kissed their knuckles, "Ladies, you all look lovely this evening." His eyes stayed on Annie who began to blush even more. She was wearing a simple black dress that was strapless and had ruching to make her look thinner than she already was and it came down to her knees. Her jewelry only included a necklace that had a fake diamond attached to it and her curly hair was free.

Harley was wearing a little red number that was covered in black lace that had roses in the design while Lorraine wore a sophisticated green dress that had thick straps and went down to her mid-calf. Bruce was in a black tux with his hair sleeked back out of his brown eyes. "Well, thanks doll, you don't look so bad either," said Harley.

"Thanks," Bruce chuckled. "Please, feel free to look around." Harley and Lorraine said their thanks and walked around, leaving Bruce and Annie alone.

"I apologize for my sister's lack of…tact," said Annie.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad they feel comfortable enough to be themselves," said Bruce. "You really do look beautiful, Annie."

"Thanks," she whispered with a smile. Bruce returned the affection and offered his arm to her. Annie looped her arm around his and together they walked around, Bruce introducing her to a lot of people. The party was held in a grand room that looked something like a wedding reception room. It was large and clean with many tables set out that made out of glass. Easy music played and many people were dancing or mingling on the dance floor. It really was beautiful. Annie felt all of the glares from single women as they watched her jealously as she was on Bruce's arm. To her displeasure, Bruce had to take a phone call and Annie was left alone.

"Some liquid courage, miss?" A man's voiced asked from behind her. Annie turned around to see a kind looking, older gentleman with a tray of drinks in his hand. Annie took one of the wine glasses and took a sip.

"Thank you. All the glares are starting to bring down my mood. I'm Annie Hallowell. What's your name?" asked Annie.

"Alfred Pennyworth at your service," Alfred said with an English accent.

"Oh, you're Bruce's guardian! He talks about you all of the time. He thinks very highly of you," said Annie, ecstatic about meeting the man Bruce saw as a father figure.

"Believe me; the pleasure is mine. Master Bruce often speaks of you as well. He's right. You are a very lovely girl," said Alfred.

"Oh, there you are, Annie," Lorraine said, coming up to the pair. She noticed Alfred and smiled. "Hello there."

"Oh, grandma, this is Alfred Pennyworth—Bruce's guardian. Alfred, this is my grandmother; Lorraine Hallowell," Annie introduced the pair.

"It's an honor to meet you," Alfred said, bowing his head to Lorraine and kissing her knuckles.

"Well you are certainly a charmer," Lorraine said, blushing.

"Is that a French accent I hear?" asked Alfred.

"Oui, monsieur, ma famille entière est la France." _Yes, sir, my entire family is from France._ Annie saw the spark between the two and left them with a smile on her face. She came face to face with Bruce again who noticed her smile.

"What's got you so happy?" Annie's smile was contagious and Bruce found himself smiling as well.

"It seems that my grandma and Alfred are hitting it off," Annie answered, her smile growing bigger. She turned around and pointed them out to Bruce. Alfred had long ago abandoned his tray and was speaking earnestly with Lorraine. Annie hadn't seen her grandma so happy since her grandpa was alive. "They are so adorable!"

"I'm glad for him. I used to think he wouldn't find anyone good enough to make him happy. I think your grandma will do wonders for him," said Bruce. A slow song played through the room and couples were dancing in the space. "Would you care to dance?"

"Uh, sure. I'd love to," said Annie. Bruce led her to the dance floor and gently pulled her into the embrace of his arms. One of his hands rested on the small of her back while his other hand held hers. Annie put her free hand on his shoulder delicately and together they began to sway to the music, getting closer and closer together. After a minute, Annie rested her head on Bruce's chest and heard his heart beat. They entered their own little world of magical happiness. The song stopped and so did Bruce and Annie, but they were still in their enchantment. Annie lifted her head and looked up at Bruce who was smiling warmly at her. He looked at her full lips which made Annie blush even more.

They began to lean in when one of the other guests called Bruce's name, "Hey, Bruce, come over here and settle this debate between John and me!" The spell was broken. Annie and Bruce separated and looked at each other nervously.

"I should probably go. It's getting a bit late and I have to help Harley move into her new apartment tomorrow," Annie said softly.

"I could drive you so you wouldn't have to catch a cab. I'm not even sure that you'll be able to get one," Bruce offered, silently wanting to spend more time with Annie.

"You're the host. You can't leave," said Annie. "Besides, you have to go settle that debate between John and that other guy."

"Then I'll have Alfred drive you home," said Bruce. "Please, Annie, I just want to make sure that you get home safely with your grandma and sister."

"Alright," Annie relented. She soon found Harley and Lorraine who were ready to go too. After a final round of good nights, Alfred drove the three women home. They thanked him and went up to the apartment. Annie went to bed that night with a huge smile on her face.


	8. Seriously

A/N: I am so sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was working on a research paper for school (and I got it done, YAY!) and it totally drained my brain of any creative juices. So I hope you like this chapter. On with the story!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman, but I do own Annie and Lorraine and I love them so please don't take them.**

**Chapter 8: Seriously**

Annie walked into the office on Monday morning while trying to stifle a yawn. Harley had moved out the day before and Annie helped her move her things. Then Annie, Harley, and Lorraine had a dinner that went on pretty late. Annie went to her desk and sat down, beginning her day. Bruce wasn't expected to come into work so she was surprised when he was standing before her desk. Annie gasped, "Are you some sort of ninja or something?"

Bruce smirked at her, "I'll make sure to make more noise for you next time."

"How kind of you. So what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here today," said Annie.

"Why not? Do you have a hot date coming?" Bruce asked with a slight edge to his voice. He didn't like thinking about Annie dating losers who didn't treat her right.

"Yes, I'm having a hot office affair with Mr. Fox," Annie quipped sarcastically, noticing the edge that Bruce had. "So, seriously, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," said Bruce.

"Okay," said Annie. She took her hands away from her computer and looked at Bruce. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Actually, I was wondering if we could talk over dinner," said Bruce.

"Oh," said Annie. She looked a bit awkward.

"You have plans," he stated.

"No, I don't. It's just…well, I don't want to leave my grandma alone. I know I don't have to spend all my time with her, but I love her and she really values family dinners together," Annie explained, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Then come have dinner with Alfred and me at my home. You can even invite Harley if you want," said Bruce.

"Harley has a date tonight, but grandma and I would love that," Annie said with a huge smile.

Bruce smiled back, "Great, I'll come pick you girls up by six."

"I'll see you then," said Annie. Bruce gave her one last smile and headed out. Annie hurriedly picked up her phone and called Lorraine with an excited look on her face.

V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/

Annie looked at the mirror nervously. She wanted to look good, but not like she was trying to look good. Yeah, it was a dinner at Bruce's place so it should have been casual, but how often does Bruce freakin' Wayne invite girls and their grandmothers to eat at his house with his most trusted friend? "Annie; stop worrying," said Lorraine. "You look fine." Annie was wearing a jean skirt that went down to her knees and a well-fitted purple shirt. She put her hair in a ponytail and waited for Bruce.

"I know, but he's Bruce. He's special and he deserves to be happy," said Annie. "Ugh, I sound like a romance novel." Lorraine shook her head at her granddaughter and looked to the comm. which buzzed when someone wanted to go up to one of the apartments in the building. "I'll get it," Annie said, going to the comm. Pressing the button, she asked, "Who is it?"

"It's Bruce."

"Come on up." After, pressing the next button which opened the door for a short time for visitors, Annie grabbed her purse and was surprised to hear a knock on her door so quickly. She opened and saw Bruce leaning against the door frame.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi."

"Bruce, dear, you're so thin. You should really eat more," said Lorraine, coming to the couple. She kissed Bruce's cheek and filed out of the apartment. Annie locked the door and closed it behind her. She and Bruce walked to the elevator where Lorraine was waiting. They got in the elevator and headed out of the building to Bruce's car. He drove them to Wayne Manor. After parking the car, Bruce escorted the ladies into the mansion. He led them to the dining room where Alfred was waiting for everyone. Lorraine's face lit up when she saw him. "Alfred," she greeted enthusiastically.

"My lady," said Alfred. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Lorraine blushed and smiled warmly at him. It took all of Annie's will power not to say 'awe.' Bruce and Alfred helped the ladies into their seats and then took their own seats.

"Miss Hallowell, it's a pleasure to see you again," said Alfred.

"It's nice to see you again too and please, call me Annie," she replied. "Everything looks delicious." They were having steak with choices of salad, potatoes, and steamed vegetables.

"Thank you, Mi—Annie," said Alfred, catching his mistake quickly. "Would you all like some wine to go with the meal." They all nodded and Alfred kindly poured a glass of wine for all of them. The group began taking food on their plates and eating.

"Oh, Bruce, put more on your plate. You're too thin," said Lorraine. Bruce smiled and complied, adding more food to his plate. "So, what prompted this dinner together?"

"Annie told me of how you value family dinners and Alfred and I just wanted to get to know you girls better. I'm afraid I have to speak about a little bit of business with Annie later though," Bruce answered.

"That can wait for much later. This is a delicious meal. What recipe did you use?" Lorraine asked Alfred.

"A magician does not reveal his secret and I do not reveal my recipes," said Alfred.

"What a shame. I was hoping we could compare," Lorraine said with a slightly suggestive tone.

Annie, catching on to the conversation, choked on her wine. She coughed and Bruce hurried went to her side. When Annie had control over her breathing he rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine; the wine just went to the wrong place," said Annie. She gave a slight glare to her grandmother who was smiling innocently.

"You always have been so sweet," said Lorraine. Dinner continued and the group was having a marvelous time. When dinner was done, Alfred and Lorraine were spending time together in the kitchen while Bruce took Annie to his study.

"You know, you never did tell me what you wanted to talk to me about," said Annie, looking around the room. It was nice. It almost looked exactly like his office except that bookshelves lined the walls of the room.

"I need your help," Bruce told her. Annie looked at him and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"What do you need help with?" Annie asked.

"You know that Wayne Enterprises are expanding and so it has been suggested that we build another building for accessibility reasons. Plus they just want another building. So, to build another building I need someone who can design it," Bruce said with a teasing tone.

Annie froze and stared at him with wide eyes. "Do you mean what I think you mean?"

"Well, I can't have some foreign man who carries a little dog with him at all times designing the building," Bruce joked, quoting their first meeting. "I want you to be the architect on this project."

"Bruce, tell me you are not kidding. It would be a really, really, really mean joke if you are kidding," said Annie. Someone pinch her, her dream of being an architect was coming true.

Bruce took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "I'm not kidding," he told her sincerely, "I truly want you to be the architect in charge of this building."

Without a second thought, Annie pulled Bruce forward into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck while his were wrapped around her waist. They held each other tightly for a moment before letting go only a little bit so that they could see each other's faces. Their breaths mingled and they leaned in. Their lips were barely touching when there was a knock on the door. The two separated and the door opened to reveal Lorraine and Alfred. "Master Bruce, you have an emergency phone call," said Alfred.

"Annie, we should probably go anyways. It's late and you have work tomorrow," said Lorraine.

"We'll be right there," said Bruce. Alfred and Lorraine nodded and left the two alone. Annie and Bruce looked at each other and sighed. "Why is it that every time we almost kiss, we get interrupted and then you have to leave?"

"Because fate is telling you that I'm worth the wait and that you should ask me out properly," said Annie.

"I will ask you, Annie," Bruce promised her.

"I know, Bruce, and I'll be waiting," Annie replied softly. Bruce kissed her cheek and escorted her down to the doors where Alfred and Lorraine were waiting patiently for them.

"I hope we can do this another time, ladies," said Bruce.

"Of course," said Lorraine. Alfred and the girls got into the car to go to their home while Batman left Wayne Manor to protect Gotham for another night.


	9. Truthfully

A/N: Hello my lovely readers. I am so sorry! I didn't mean to go on a break, but life caught up with me and insisted that relax and catch up on sleep (believe me, I was not looking good). However, now I'm back and ready to write. Please forgive me. Now with the story—don't forget to review. They give me this warm, fuzzy feeling inside. F.Y.I, I'm saying Joker's real name is Jack Napier because that's how it is in the comics. I don't know if that applies to _The Dark Knight_ as well, but this is fiction so it probably doesn't matter.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman—cartoon, movies, comics, actors, or characters (aside from Annie and Lorraine). Rub it in my face, why don't ya? *Huffs and stomps away***

**Chapter 9: Truthfully**

Harley couldn't believe she was about to get a case as huge as this. How many people get to help criminals like Joker? You had to have talent and Harley must've had it. She followed Rhonda to Joker's room. "Good luck, hon," Rhonda told her before leaving to go cover the desk again. Harley got out her security pass and entered Joker's room. It was depressing. The room was bare except for a bed and a chair. It was white with pathetic lighting. Joker was on his bed, sitting and looking at Harley with obvious curiosity. He looked really different without his make-up, green hair, and purple suit. He almost seemed…human. The scars on his face added to that effect. It reminded that he wasn't just a serial murderer. Harley pulled the chair to sit across from him and sat down. She flashed him a big smile.

"Hi, Jack, I'm Dr. Harleen Quinzel. You can call me Harley," said Harley.

"What did you call me?" Joker asked with a bit of anger in his voice.

Harley kept her cool, "I called you Jack. That's your name. You're Jack Napier."

"I don't know what news channel you watch, doll, but I go by Joker."

"Why? What's wrong with being Jack Napier?" Harley looked sincere and she did want to help him.

This made Joker think. He looked at her as if he were measuring her up. She was one of those people who wanted to fix everything. She wanted to help in any way possible. The girl was almost like a puppy—willing to do any trick to get some love. That could help him out in the future. Her accent was annoying, but it could be tolerated. "Well, _Harley_, if you call me Jack then I'll be reminded of my past. I don't like thinking about my past," said Joker.

"If we don't face our past, then there's not much chance for a bright future."

"Did you get that from a fortune cookie?"

Harley laughed, "Tell you what, we'll talk about your past for a little bit each day and then you can ask about anything you want. I'll even call you Mr. J—neither Joker nor Jack."

"Well, _Harley_, you've got yourself a deal," said Joker. He smiled, not because he was getting help for his "mental and emotional problems," but because he was going to get a lot more out of this deal than Harley knew.

/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/

Annie smiled as the work day was over. She had been working with Bruce about the design of the new building (wanting his opinion and needing to know what he wanted in the building). She stretched her arms over her head and gave a contented sigh. "So, did you have fun spending the last two hours with Brucie?" Katie asked, sitting on her desk. "Did you at least make out for some of that time?"

"Katie!" Annie exclaimed.

"What?" Katie asked innocently. "I just want to know if he's a good kisser."

"And you want me to find out for you?"

"You'd get something out of it too."

"Why don't you go find out for yourself?"

"He's only got eyes for you. I can't remember the last time the tabloids caught him with models since you've been working here. Just face it—the guy likes you!" Katie exclaimed.

"What guy likes you?" A man's voice asked. The women turned to see Bruce standing there with his hands casually in his pockets.

"You!" Katie exclaimed. She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air. She got off of Annie's desk and walked away while muttering, "You two are worse than Fran and Mr. Sheffield from _The Nanny_, worse than Ron and Hermione in _Harry Potter_, worse than every stinking love story on the damn planet!"

When she was gone, Bruce faced Annie. He pressed his lips together to keep from busting out laughing. Annie seemed to be having the same problem. They finally got control of themselves and Bruce said, "So…"

"So…"

"Do you want a ride home?" Bruce asked.

"No, that's okay. I want to walk. I've got some thinking to do about the building and whatnot," said Annie.

"Are you sure? I don't like the idea of you walking home alone in the dark."

"I'll be fine. I've got mace, I'm wearing flats, and I've had some self-defense classes. You don't need to worry about me."

"Are you ever going to get a car?"

"I can't afford it…unless you want to give me a raise," Annie said with a bright smile.

Bruce smirked, "You'd be surprised."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see."

"But I want to know now."

"Patience is a virtue."

"So is minding my own business, but I don't do that either."

"Go home, Annie, you've had a long day," said Bruce, walking away.

"But I want to know what you mean," Annie called after him. He kept walking and Annie chuckled to herself. After putting on her coat and grabbing her purse, she left the office to go home. The walk was quiet. She didn't pass many people. Annie had an apartment in one of the safer neighborhoods in Gotham, but that never stopped her from taking precautions. She walked along, but a feeling settled in her stomach. It wasn't a bad feeling, but she knew she was being watched. Taking a shortcut, Annie found herself in an abandoned alley. "Who's there?" Annie called out.

"It's not really safe for a woman to walk alone at night," said a raspy voice.

Annie smiled as she saw Batman, "Technically, I'm not alone. You're watching me. Why are you here anyways?"

"Watching you," was his reply.

"Why do you do this?" Annie asked. Batman walked to her, he stopped right in front of her body.

"Who would do this if I didn't? It's what's right. We can't let evil and corruption destroy Gotham. We have to stand up for what is right and good."

"You really take that Good Samaritan story to heart, don't you?"

"Do you think we should let things go?"

"No, but people hate you for no reason and think you're a killer. How do you continue with that kind of weight on your shoulders?"

"Do you hate me and think I'm a killer?" Batman asked her. He gazed into her eyes intently, waiting for her answer.

"No, I don't hate you. I admire you. You have courage and you give people strength to stand up for what's right, like that D.A. did. I don't know what happened to Harvey Dent, but you didn't kill him. You're good, Batman, and no one should think different," said Annie.

"That's how I continue. I think about people like you who need me and depend on me. I won't run from responsibility just because some people don't like me," said Batman.

Annie gave him a small smile, "Then know that there'll always be someone here for you." Batman nodded and left her, but Annie knew that he was still watching over her as she continued home. Annie entered her apartment to see her grandma watching television. "Hey, grandma," said Annie.

"Hi, dear. How was work?" Lorraine asked.

"Fine, we worked on the building design today. How was your day?"

"Alfred and I had a very lovely lunch. I told him about your birthday next week. I think he's going to tell Bruce."

"Maybe," said Annie. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to head to bed."

"Alright, good night."

"Good night."


	10. Surprise

A/N: Hello all. Not much to say, though I do believe you will like this chapter and hopefully it shall spark curiosity. Please review!

**Disclaimer: I don't Batman or any of its characters, plots, etc. I do own Annie and Lorraine so please don't stick your hands in that cookie jar.**

**Chapter 10: Surprise**

A week passed and it was Annie's birthday. She, Lorraine, and Harley had decided to go to dinner together to celebrate. They went to Annie's favorite restaurant and had a marvelous time. When getting a taxi to go home, Lorraine said, "Alfred wanted to see you today, Annie. He has a gift for you."

"Awe, he didn't have to do that," said Annie.

"He wanted to. So let's go to the house," said Lorraine.

"Are you sure we should? I mean, we weren't exactly invited by Bruce. What if he doesn't know we're coming?" Annie asked worriedly.

"Annie, you worry too much. It's not like we're going to rob him: we're just getting your birthday present. Come on," said Harley.

Annie relented and they got a taxi to go to Bruce's home. Everything seemed fine. Harley rang the door bell. Alfred opened the door, "Hello, ladies, please come in." He opened the door wider and they entered the dark house.

Suddenly, the lights turned on and a bunch of people yelled, "SURPRISE!" Annie grinned and looked around. The mansion was decorated and the music turned on. Annie saw the people from work, including Katie, and saw Bruce grinning at her. The party continued on and Annie went up to Bruce.

"What's all of this for?" She asked him with a smile.

"It's your birthday," Bruce told her as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Happy birthday, Annie."

"I can't believe you did this for me," said Annie.

"Actually, Lorraine, Harley, and Alfred deserve a lot of the credit too. So, you like it?" Bruce asked. He looked like a kidding waiting for approval to play with his newest toy.

"Bruce, it's amazing. Thank you," said Annie.

"The night isn't over yet," said Bruce with obvious happiness that she liked the party so much already. The lights dimmed and Annie turned to see Alfred coming toward her with a cake on a rolling cart. The candles were lit and everyone began singing to Annie. When they finished, Annie pulled her hair back and blew out the candles. Everyone clapped and cheered. The party went on and Annie couldn't remember having such a fun time. Bruce directed her to the table where her presents waited. Annie shyly began opening some. They were nice. She mainly got new jewelry or perfume. Then Annie noticed a little box. She looked at the card and saw it was from Bruce. She opened the box and saw a pair of keys. Annie looked at Bruce curiously. He smiled and took her hand in his, leading her outside to the driveway—away from everyone's eyes. He stopped her in front of a navy blue Cavalier and gestured for her to get in. Using the key, she did and felt a bit choked up.

"Bruce, you bought me a car," said Annie.

"Yeah," Bruce said simply.

"It's too much. I can't accept this," Annie said sadly.

"I know it's a lot, but, please, Annie. I don't like thinking about you walking at night alone or not having a way to transport yourself in case of an emergency. Really, this present is more for me than you. I just want to make sure you're safe. Pretty please?" Bruce looked at her with such care that Annie couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Alright," said Annie. Bruce's smile was bright and he pulled her into his arms. After a moment he let her go enough to see her face. He stroked her hair back and smiled softly. "Why are you doing this?"

"I can show you better than I can tell you," Bruce whispered. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers. It was so sweet that Annie could hardly stand it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. Bruce groaned as Annie's lips melted to his. Finally, the need for air separated them and they panted, but still held each other close.

"That was a damn good first kiss," Annie said breathlessly. Bruce chuckled and brought her in for another kiss, this one more heated. His tongue creeped out and licked her lips, asking permission to enter. She opened and their tongues danced together. Annie moaned as Bruce pulled their lips apart and began kissing her neck. "Bruce," she whispered.

Bruce didn't hear her and switched to the other side of her neck.

"Bruce," Annie said; her voice a bit louder and clearer. Bruce pulled away and grinned lazily at her. "We should go back to the party."

"Do we have to?"

"I'm the birthday girl and you're the host—yes, we have to," said Annie.

Bruce sighed, "Fine, birthday girl, we'll go back inside. But I've got something to ask you first."

"What would that be?"

Bruce held her a bit closer to his body and leaned his forehead against hers. "Will you please do me the honor of going to dinner with me tomorrow as a date?"

"I'd love too," Annie answered with a smile. Bruce grinned and they went back inside. The party was great. When it finished, Annie's presents were inside her new car (which Lorraine and Harley were glad that she finally got) and after another secret kiss from Bruce, they went home. Annie dropped off Harley and she and Lorraine went home. Lorraine went to bed right away and Annie looked over the mail she received. They were mostly bills, but she had one letter. Curiosity over took her and she opened the letter

Dear Miss Annette Hallowell,

So sorry that this couldn't be done in person. I'm a friend of your father's. You see, your father borrowed some money from me and never paid it back. That makes me unhappy and if I'm unhappy, then you will be too. I want my money and you will start paying it to me. If you don't, well I'd hate for your poor, sick mommy to get worse. Keep that in mind if you take this to anyone else. Just drop the money off at the end each of month until you pay off the bill. Have a nice day.

Annie gasped after she was done reading the letter. She closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Even from the grave, her father ruined her life. What a great surprise.


	11. Date Night

A/N: Hello my darlings, my lovelies, my readers. I have returned from the grave. Well, not really, but I am sick. Never fear, though, I am updating. This chapter is full of fluffieness! YAY! FLUFF!

**Disclaimer: I know my brilliance would lead you to believe that I own Batman, but alas I do not. Kidding I really don't own Batman and I'm not that brilliant (though feel free to disagree). I do own my OCs so please don't be a thief. It's not a fulfilling life.**

**Chapter 11: Date Night**

"Ugh! I look like crap and Bruce will never want to date me again! He'll be like, 'what did I see in you?' Then he'll never come back. He'll fire me and I won't get to finish the building and I'll never be an architect and…" Annie continued to rant while she looked in the mirror until Lorraine decided to intervene.

"Annie, would you stop? You look lovely. You're being too negative. Bruce will admire you even more," she said.

Annie gave her a doubtful look and looked into the mirror again. She was wearing a strapless green dress that brought out her eyes. It was well-fitted on her torso while it flowed from her hips to her knees. She straightened her normally curly hair and it framed her make-up adorned face. She did that smoky eye thing she saw on the television and her lips were glossed with a light pink. Maybe she didn't look so bad. "Thanks grandma," said Annie.

"Of course, my darling," said Lorraine. The speaker buzzed and Annie knew that Bruce was down stairs.

"That's him. I'm going to go. Love you grandma," said Annie. She kissed her grandma's cheek and grabbed her purse.

"Bye, sweetie. Have fun," Lorraine called. She was met with the sound of the shutting door.

Annie went down stairs to see Bruce in a sleek, black tux. His hands were casually in his pockets and he turned around to see Annie smiling at him. Bruce couldn't help returning the smile as she came to him. "You look…beautiful," he told her softly.

Annie blushed and replied, "Thanks, you look pretty good yourself."

Bruce offered her his arm and asked, "Shall we go?"

"We shall," Annie answered, looping her arm through his. He walked her to his car and opened the door for her. After she was settled inside, he shut the door for her and got into the driver's side. He drove them to an expensive looking restaurant and gave the car to the valet. Bruce escorted Annie into the restaurant and the hostess brought them to the finest table. It was a beautiful place. Tables with white lace clothe covered the black tiled floor. The walls were golden and seemed to glow with the dim lights on the walls and the hanging chandelier. The waiter gave them leather-bound menus and left to get their drinks. "Bruce, this place is gorgeous! This place is five stars."

"Well, I couldn't take you to a four star restaurant. What would that say about my reputation?" Bruce asked with his trademark smirk.

Annie chuckled and they continued having a great night. Annie couldn't remember having a better date. Bruce made her smile and laugh and made her feel like the only person in the world who mattered. Annie was refreshing for Bruce. She wasn't one of the models who looked at her reflection every five seconds and she didn't ask him to buy her buildings or jewels. It was nice to have someone be on a date with him because they wanted to be with him. Dinner was eventually over and they went back to the car. Bruce surprised Annie by driving to the park. "What are you doing?" Annie asked as Bruce got out. He went to her door and opened it.

"I don't want to give you back to Lorraine just yet," he told her with a smile. Annie got out of the car and took the hand that Bruce offered to her. They began walking around the park in comfortable silence. It was a bit chilly and Annie began to shiver. "Are you cold?" Bruce asked concernedly.

"Just a tad," Annie answered. Bruce let go of her hand for a second and shrugged off his jacket, putting it on her shoulders. "Thanks." She slid her arms through the holes and put the jacket on properly. Bruce nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulders while she wrapped hers around his waist. "Can I ask you something, Bruce?"

"You already did."

"No, I mean something serious."

"Sure."

"Why do you pretend to be someone you're not?" Bruce stopped walking and Annie turned to face him. Their arms were wrapped tightly around each other as Bruce searched her eyes with his.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"In the public, you're the man to be. You're charming, handsome…and untouchable. You're a silly boy with too many toys to play with. But with me…you're someone else entirely. You're kind and generous and I don't understand why you hide that from people," said Annie.

"If I showed it to everyone, all the women would swoon," said Bruce. His smirk faded as Annie gave him a serious look.

"Bruce, really, you're so much more than what people give you credit for," she told him.

"You know that and that's all that matters. With all the people that I know; they're after my money. They don't care about me and it's easier not to get hurt when you don't put yourself out there. With you, though, I want to risk it. I want you to know who I really am," he told her honestly. He couldn't believe how true it was. Annie, who had only been in his life for a few weeks, managed to make his world revolve around her.

Annie smiled softly and pressed her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart beating underneath her hand. "So you're not made of stone."

"Not when you're around."

"Bruce Wayne, you know how to impress a girl on a first date."

"So much that I can have a second date?"

"Maybe…if you ask nicely."

Bruce smiled and kissed her gently.

"Yeah, you can have a second date," said Annie. They smiled and kissed again, enjoying the night.


	12. Shock

A/N: I know, this is late. I'm sorry! I've been losing my touch. Anyways, here's a chapter to make up for it. Please review! Also keep in mind that I'm doing a Harry Potter fic (entitled Insanity, Differences, and Love) and so I may be behind on this one week and may be behind on Harry Potter the next week. Please forgive me and please review! I really do love it when you guys read my stuff and are so interested by it.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Batman—characters, real estate, and actors. I do own Annie and Lorraine so please don't take them.**

**Chapter 12: Shock**

It was a few weeks later and Annie couldn't be happier. She was dating an attractive guy who loved spoiling her, her sister had a job that she really loved, her grandma was finding love again, she was working on her first architect job, and her mom was getting a little bit better. The only thing that took away from Annie's joy was the letter that demanded she pay her father's debt. Whoever wanted the money always left a location in her mailbox on a piece of paper. She had to drop the money off and it always had to be in cash. Usually, no one was around when she dropped off the money, but this was a different day. One guy casually leaned against the wall as Annie went to drop off the money. She looked at the guy cautiously and he met her eyes. "Annette Hallowell?" he asked.

"Depends on who's asking," said Annie.

The guy chuckled, got off the wall, and walked toward her. "My name is Trent Pascal. I work for the man who you bring that money for."

"Oh, I see. What does your boss want now, Mr. Pascal?" asked Annie.

"Please, call me Trent. My employer wishes to meet your father. He wants to see the coward who makes his daughter pay for his mistakes," said Trent.

"You would need a medium to meet my father," said Annie.

"Why is that?"

"He's dead."

Trent's eyes seemed to glow with mischief, "Are you positive about that?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"I killed him," Annie said coldly. "Until next time…Trent." She walked away.

/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/

Harley and Joker were having lunch together at Arkham. It amazed Harley how much Joker had warmed up to her. They began exploring his past and he didn't hold anything back. He told her how his father was an alcoholic and abusive while his mother was a neglectful smoker. His childhood just seemed so terrible. "As cliché as this may sound, Mr. J, I know exactly what you went through," Harley told him kindly.

"You're parents were abusive too?" Joker asked with big, innocent eyes.

"My father was. My mom, though, she always tried to protect us," Harley answered quietly, her eyes looking at a distant place. She seemed to realize what she had said and shook her head to clear away the memories. "That was a long time ago, though. I don't need to worry about it anymore and it doesn't affect me."

"I thought we were friends," Joker said quietly.

"What?" asked Harley.

"I thought I could tell you anything and that you could tell me anything. I thought we were friends, not counselor and patient. I thought you actually cared," Joker explained, looking away from Harley.

"We _are_ friends and I do care. Most people just don't want to hear about my past," said Harley.

"My ears are working perfectly fine," said Joker. "Come on, it's your turn to tell something about you."

"You really want to know about my childhood?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

"Alright." As Harley told her story, Joker couldn't stop the glee from rising in him.

_A few more sob stories and more bonding time and this girl will be mine_, he thought to himself, _And she'll get me out of this joint_.

/V/V/V/V/V/V/V

Annie sighed as her work day was over. She was finally done with today and was looking forward to getting some sleep. It was Friday, luckily, so she could sleep in tomorrow. _And visit mom_, she reminded herself. Katie came over to her desk and said, "Hey, I was thinking about catching a movie tomorrow. Do you wanna come?"

"Can't," Annie said regretfully, "I have to go visit my mom tomorrow."

"What's wrong with her? You visit her every week," said Katie. "Sorry, that was bit insensitive."

"Don't worry about it. She's just…really sick. The doctors doubt that she'll get better," said Annie.

"She's in my prayers."

"Thanks."

"So, do you want to walk down together?"

"No, you go ahead and start your weekend. I've got one email that I need to send," said Annie.

"Are you sure?" Katie looked hesitant.  
"I'm sure. Go on and begin your fun," said Annie.

"Alright, but you and I need to hang out sometime soon," said Katie.

"We will," said Annie. "Bye."

"Bye." Katie walked off and Annie's gaze turned back to her computer. She finished her email and sent it. She put on her coat and grabbed her purse when two guys showed up at her desk.

"Um…hi? You know, Mr. Wayne and Mr. Fox aren't here," she said.

"We're not here to see them. We want to see you," said one of the guys.

"Why?"

"Our employer doesn't like being lied to."

Annie's body froze, "Oh, you're from _him_. What lie did I supposedly tell?"

"Your father's death."

"That wasn't a lie. My father is dead. I shot him."

"Did you check to make sure he was dead?"

"I…n-no. Are you telling me he's alive?" Annie whispered, horrified.

The guys looked at each other and then looked back at Annie. The guy who had been talking the whole time said, "He was spotted yesterday at some restaurant. He looked pretty good for a dead guy."

"Look, I swear, I had no idea that he was alive. Do you think I would've paid your boss if I knew the bastard was alive?" Annie reasoned while the panic began rising within her.

"It doesn't matter. We're supposed to make an example out of you."

"An example out of me?"

"Yeah, to show people what happens when you cross the mob. Daddy dearest will be sorry when he sees your mangled body on the front page of the paper," said the guy.

"No he won't. You don't understand, he hated me! You'll be doing him a favor by killing me!" Annie exclaimed, tears pooling in her eyes. She looked around, but the entire floor was deserted.

The silent guy sighed and took out his gun. "Let's go, kid."

"Please," Annie whispered. One tear fell down her face.

"No exceptions, kid," he replied sympathetically.

Annie crossed her arms and held herself as though she was hugging herself. The talkative one grabbed her elbow and led her to the roof of Wayne Tower. They walked up the stairs and went out the door to the roof. Annie began feeling dizzy and her legs began to shake as she looked down below. Her breathing came in sobbing gasps. This was it. The men brought her to the edge of the building. A shadow over came the three of them. The two men looked up while Annie's eyes could only focus in and out of the ground. One of the guys hurriedly pushed her off the roof.

Annie was going to die. She was sure of it. There was no way she could survive being thrown off the roof of Wayne Enterprises. Then again, if you add Batman into the mix; all the rules of logic and normalcy are out the window. Annie screamed as the ground came closer, but arms suddenly wrapped around her waist and turned her so she was facing the night sky. Some explosion sounded, not really heard by the busy city, and a rope whipped pass Annie's head. The rope tightened and suddenly she was going up. When reaching the roof of some other building, Annie was released and she turned around to see the Dark Knight. "Oh, wow," she gasped, sinking to her knees as she realized how high they were.

"Are you alright?" Batman's raspy voice asked.

Annie stared at him incredulously, "You've got to be joking! I know it's a habit for you to fly off buildings, but the rest of us mere mortals don't do that. Besides, it doesn't help when you are afraid of heights."

"You're safe now, though," said Batman.

"Yeah, I am," Annie replied softly. "Thank you…for saving me…again…for the third time."

"I'm starting to think that you're doing this on purpose. Do you find me that attractive?" Batman asked smugly as he smirked at her.

Annie felt the heat rise to her cheeks, "Don't flatter yourself that much. It's not like I plan it. You just happen to be very lucky and always get to save me."

Batman chuckled before looking at her in all seriousness, "Why were you on the roof with the mob?"

Annie winced at the anger in his voice, "I wasn't there by choice. I was getting ready to go home and they came in. I was going to be made an example of what happens when you cross the mob. My dad tried to steal a lot of money from them and I got caught in the middle. I was going to be his punishment."

"They're probably tracking you. You should leave Gotham and go somewhere safe," said Batman.

"Do you really think that will stop them?" Annie asked innocently. She stared at Batman with her wide green eyes.

"No," Batman sighed. He noticed Annie wobbling to get to her feet and helped her stand. She gripped his wrists tightly for security.

"So what pretty much is going through your head is that I am screwed. You could decide to be my personal body guard, but then Gotham is unprotected. There is no way to win this except for cops and lawyers putting mob away which will never happen since everyone is scared now that Harvey Dent is dead and you supposedly killed him," said Annie.

"There are good people in Gotham," Batman protested softly.

"Who?" Annie scoffed. "Name one person besides you and Gordon."

"You," said Batman. Annie froze and finally realized how close she and Batman were. Their chests were grazing and she could feel his breath on her face. Slowly, they began to lean in. Their lips touched for the briefest moment before Annie felt nothing but a breeze. She opened her eyes to see that Batman was gone. Pressing her fingers to her lips, Annie smiled. She was able to leave the building and she walked home; aware of the protective gaze watching over her.

When Annie reached home, she couldn't have been more grateful. She walked in to see Lorraine at the dining room table, reading the newspaper. She looked up and smiled when she saw Annie, but then her smile began to fade. "Annie, what's wrong?" Lorraine asked worriedly, putting the paper down and standing up to meet Annie who was taking off her coat.

Annie locked the door and set her purse and coat on the table. "I'm not even sure where to begin. You might want to sit down grandma." Lorraine and Annie sat down on the living room couch and Annie explained everything from the letter one her birthday to what happened on the roof.

"Oh my…Are you alright?" Lorraine asked. She hurriedly looked over Annie, "You're not injured, right?"

"I'm not hurt, but I'm not sure that I'm alright," said Annie. "Grandma, I don't know what to do."

"We'll go to the police," said Lorraine. "There has to be at least one good cop in Gotham."

"There is—Jim Gordon, but he can't take down the mob on his own. He'll need some of his people to help him and I don't know if all of them are trustworthy," said Annie.

"We'll think of something," said Lorraine. "Maybe Bruce could help us out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe we should stay with him for a little while."

Annie's eyes widened, "Stay with him? That's moving things pretty fast, don't you think? We don't even know if he would agree to that!"

"He would want you to be safe," said Lorraine.

"I don't know…"

"I'm not saying ask him tonight. Just think about it. For right now, though, I think you need to go to bed. You look exhausted and you've had a trying day," said Lorraine.

"I guess. I'm visiting mom tomorrow," said Annie. She got up, but paused before leaving the living room.

"I'll come with you."

"Okay…Grandma?"

Lorraine turned toward Annie, "Yes, darling?"

"I love you," Annie said softly.

Lorraine smiled, "I love you too."

/V/V/V/V/V/V/V

Annie drove her and Lorraine to Arkham Asylum. "I must get the name of the decorator," Lorraine said sarcastically to Annie, looking over the dreary place. "You keep your mother here?"

"It's the only place in Gotham and it's the only place I can afford," said Annie.

"I thought Harley took over the payment of the bills," said Lorraine.

"She has now that she can get a discount," said Annie. "Are you sure that you want to be here?"

"She's my daughter," said Lorraine. "I owe this to her."

"What happened was not your fault," said Annie. "You didn't know what he would turn out to be."

"I should have known. I should have made sure that the three of you were safe," said Lorraine. "Now your mother is stuck in a mental hospital the rest of her life."

"It could be worse."

"How so?"

"We could still be under Logan's control," Annie said, her father's name burning her throat a little.

Lorraine said nothing more and she and Annie walked into the building. They went to the front desk where Rhonda was typing away on the computer. Rhonda looked at Annie and Lorraine. "Hi, Annie. Who's this?"

"This is my grandma, Lorraine Hallowell. Is my mom up for a visit today?" asked Annie.

"Of course, honey. However, I'm going to need some identification from you Miss Lorraine Hallowell," said Rhonda. "For security purposes." After getting Lorraine cleared, she and Lorraine went to the patients' common room where Belle was playing with cards. Lorraine and Annie walked up to her.

"Mom?" Annie asked.

Belle looked up and her face began to glow. "Annie!" Belle exclaimed happily. She stood and hugged her daughter tightly. Annie returned the hug just as fiercely. When they let go, Belle's eyes went to Lorraine and paused. "Mother," she said in shock.

"Bonjour Belle. Il a été pendant quelque temps. Comment avez-vous été _?" Hello Belle. It's been awhile. How have you been?_

"Je suis bien. Les choses pourraient être meilleures, mais je ne me plains pas. Comment allez-vous ? Je ne vous ai pas vu depuis qu'Annie et Harley étaient de petites filles," Belle replied. _I'm alright. Things could be better, but I'm not complaining. How are you? I haven't seen you since Annie and Harley were little girls._

"Je suis très bien. Je me suis ennuyé de toi. Vous avaient-ils traité bon ici ? Êtes-vous heureux ?" _I'm fine. I've missed you. Have they been treating you well here? Are you happy?_

Belle smiled, "I am. They treat us well and it's nice to see Harley more often."

"Where is Harley?" asked Annie.

"She's with her patient," Belle answered, obvious pride in her voice. "Sit down you two, please. It's so nice to see you both."

"We're glad to be here, mom," said Annie. Hours passed by and the three women were enjoying the visit, especially since Belle didn't have an attack. Eventually, it was time for Lorraine and Annie to leave. Belle hugged them both tightly when they got up to leave before she had to go get her medicine. Lorraine and Annie gave their passes to Rhonda who wished them a good evening and they walked to the car.

"So…have you thought about what I said?" asked Lorraine.

"If we ask to stay with Bruce, he'll want to know why. I'm not sure that I want to talk about how Logan was a gambler who borrowed from the mob," said Annie.

"Then what will we do?"

"That's the thing. I'm not sure if anything else would work, but I don't want to put that on Bruce." Both women were shocked when Annie's cell phone began to ring. Annie picked up the phone and saw that it was Bruce calling. "Hello?"

"Hey you," said Bruce.

"Hi. What's up?"

"I have a question for you. Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? Just a casual dinner at my place. You could bring Lorraine if you want. I know Alfred wanted her to come over," said Bruce.

"Bruce, I don't know…"

"Please?"

"I…I guess…we could come," said Annie.

"Great! Come over whenever," said Bruce.

"We're on our way now."

"Alright, I'll see you soon."

"Bye." They hung up and Annie put her phone down before turning on the car and driving to Bruce's house. "Bruce wants us to go over for dinner. Apparently Alfred has been missing you as well."

"He's such a sweet man," Lorraine said with a smile. They reached Wayne Manor and Annie parked her car. Bruce had already opened the door and was waiting for them as they got out of the car and headed up.

"You know, I don't think you're at all excited to see us," Annie said sarcastically. Bruce smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I'm always glad to see you. Lorraine, how are you doing?" Bruce asked, ushering the women inside.

"Well, things could be better," said Lorraine.

"Oh?" Bruce asked concerned.

"I fear that we need to find dad new place to stay," said Lorraine.

"Why do you need a new place? Annie, why didn't you tell me about this?" asked Bruce. Of course, as Batman he already knew what was going on, but what sense was there in telling your girlfriend and her grandmother that you're the sought for vigilante?

Annie glared at her grandmother before answering Bruce, "I didn't want you to worry about me. I've been taking care of myself for a long time now. Anyways, it's not like we need a new place. I'm just…having some work done at the apartment and we need a place to stay for a…week or so."

"I thought the man said it would talk longer than that," said Lorraine.

"No, he didn't," Annie said with some edge to her voice.

"I'm certain he said three weeks to a month, Annette," said Lorraine.

"But we don't want to stay at a hotel for a month."

"Why don't you two stay here?" Bruce suggested. Both women looked at him—one in surprise and one with delight.

"Bruce, we couldn't do that. I don't want to put you out," said Annie.

"Who's putting who out? I don't think you've noticed, but this is a pretty big place. You won't be in anyone's way," said Bruce.

"I don't know…"

"Come on, Annie. I doubt you'll find anywhere safer," said Bruce.

"Safer?" asked Annie.

"Better service too," Bruce added with a smile.

"I guess that'll be okay," said Annie.

"Great! Bring over all of your stuff tomorrow," said Bruce.

Annie nodded. Alfred came in then and was told about the new guests. The four enjoyed dinner while Annie couldn't only ask herself what her grandmother got her into.


	13. Unknown

A/N: Hello one and all. I'm watching _Batman Begins_ and it has given me some ideas for a new chapter. YAY! So here I am to dedicate another chapter. I don't think there's anything else to add. Oh, if you like my writing and _Harry Potter_, then you should know that I'm writing another fanfic called _Insanity, Differences, and Love_. I daresay it's good. At the very least, you'll get a laugh. So please review and I hope you like the chapter.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman…it doesn't get simpler than that.**

**Chapter 13: Unknown**

It was the weekend of the first week that Annie stayed at Wayne Manor. It was a lovely place. Alfred made sure to make her favorite meals and he and Lorraine often spent time with each other. Bruce also gave them the best rooms in the mansion. Annie hated leaving hers. It was a huge room with a king size bed that had warm, golden covers and soft pillows. The rugs on the floor were decorated in swirling designs. She also had a desk that was next to the window, giving her a view of the back yard. Her closet was huge. Her pitiful amount of clothes didn't even take up half of it. There was a dresser on the opposite wall of the bed that she also used for clothes not needing to be hung.

Currently Annie was in the library, looking over the books absent mindedly. She then saw a stack of newspapers on the next shelf and went to them. The one on top was the article over the death of Bruce's parents. She took it into her hands and looked at the picture of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Feeling someone's presence behind her, Annie said, "They were beautiful, especially her."

Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. He looked down at his parents' smiling faces. "Their kindness was more beautiful than anything else," he said quietly in her ear.

"I'm sure," said Annie. "I've heard a lot of things about them. They must have been amazing people."

"They would've liked you if they were still alive," said Bruce.

"One would hope." Annie put the paper back and turned in Bruce's arms to face him. She set her hands lightly on his shoulders. She stared at his face—mainly his eyes. They were a light brown color and heavily burdened with sorrow, pain, and rage. However, there was something else in them. But she wasn't sure what it was.

"What's with the look?"

"What look?"

"The one you're giving me now. It's like you're trying to decide something," said Bruce.

"It's nothing to worry about. I'm just trying to figure you out. There's just a lot that I don't know about you," Annie explained.

"I don't know a lot about you either," Bruce retorted.

"I'm boring," said Annie.

"I doubt that."

"Of course you do. Well, I gotta go," Annie said. She kissed a confused Bruce and broke away from his embrace.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm having a girls' day with Katie. She's treating me to the spa she goes to and we're going to shop and probably catch dinner. I'll be home by nine…I think." She left the library and headed up to her room with Bruce following her. Annie grabbed her purse and a light jacket. She looked at Bruce, "What's with the frown?"

"I was just wondering when you were going to tell me you were going out. Gotham isn't always a safe place and it's smart to tell someone where you're going," said Bruce.

"Relax, I would've told you. It just slipped my mind. It's not like we're going to the Narrows," said Annie.

"I just wish you would've told me sooner."

"Bruce, you aren't my father. If you were, this relationship would be very awkward."

"I care about you," he said quietly.

Annie sighed and went to Bruce. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he wrapped his around her. "I know you care and you have no idea how special that makes me feel, but you also need to realize that I can take care of myself. I care about you too, Bruce, but I trust you to not put yourself in a dangerous situation. We both have to trust each other."

"I do trust you," Bruce told her. _It's everyone else I don't trust_, he added mentally.

"You worry too much," said Annie. "Go out, call one of your friends, have fun! You do know what fun is, right?"

"Ha ha," Bruce said, rolling his eyes. The door bell rang throughout the house.

"Oh, that's Katie. Bye, darling," said Annie. She gave Bruce a kiss and left the room, going down to the door.

"Be careful," Bruce called after her.

"Always," was the reply. He was then met with the sound of the door shutting. He was leaning against the doorway of Annie's room when Alfred came up to him.

"Is everything alright, sir?" asked Alfred.

"Yeah, girls' day," Bruce answered. "I'm just worried about her."

"You know, Master Wayne, you do have a car," said Alfred. "You also have a certain influence over security cameras."

"I'm not following her, Alfred," Bruce said with a bit of anger.

"Then stop with that moping look. If you don't want to check up on her, then just go out and have some fun. It's hard to find other activities to occupy your mind," said Alfred.

"Can you really say that you don't think about Lorraine all the time?" Bruce asked with a smirk.

Pink began staining the British man's face, "That is completely different."

"How so?"

"The only other thing I have to occupy me is you and you aren't that interesting, sir," said Alfred.

"Alfred, I'm hurt. So much, in fact, I'm going to go out."

"Make sure she doesn't see you."

Bruce was already gone.

/V/V/V/V/V/V/V

Annie got into Katie's car and they drove off. "Thanks for taking me out. I really just need a day of fun," said Annie.

"Of course. Besides, now I get to hear all the juicy gossip about you and one certain billionaire," Katie said with an evil grin.

Annie laughed, "There's not as much scandal as you think there is."

"You're living with him!"

"So? I'm having some work done at my place." Annie felt bad about lying to everyone, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them the truth either. They would want to jump into a fight for her and she couldn't let that happen.

"Come on, Ann, how many couples live together and don't get _together_?"

"KATIE! We have _not_ had sex!" Annie exclaimed. "I'm in a different room. He has a mansion you know. It has more than one room." She couldn't help the blush consuming her face.

Katie spared her a quick glance and then her eyes went back to the road. "Annie…are you a _virgin_?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Annie.

"It's just uncommon," said Katie.

"I guess. I don't know. I just haven't met the guy."

"What about Wayne? Do you think he could be the guy?"

"I think he could be. It's just weird to think of myself like that. I mean, I've never even considered being with a man until Bruce," said Annie. "Yeah, I've had the thoughts everyone has had, but actually doing it is a different thing, you know?"

"I get it. You're one of those girls who wants to wait," said Katie.

"Yeah. What about you?"

"My first time was with my husband on our wedding night. We were 20."

"I didn't know you're married."

"Not many people know. My husband died a few years later. He had cancer," Katie explained in a soft voice.

"Oh, Katie…I…That's terrible."

"It's better this way. He's not in pain anymore. You know, I've never actually told anyone outside of my family and friends from my old town. I'm actually from Maine."

There was a long silence, but it wasn't awkward. Annie finally felt the need to break it.

"Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"You never cease to amaze me."

Katie chuckled, "Thanks. You know, this day was supposed to be fun."

"I think it is," said Annie.

"So it is. Come on, we're here," said Katie. She pulled into the parking lot of a large building. They got out of the car and walked into the lobby. "So, are you ready to be pampered?"

Annie saw two attractive men in the spa's uniform going toward the massage rooms. She smiled at Katie, "Let the pampering begin."

/V/V/V/V/V/V/V

Lorraine was in the kitchen when Alfred found her. She was chopping fruit and totally unaware of him. He took the time to study her. Lorraine really was a beautiful woman. Though her hair was gray, it had such a shine to it. It seemed even lighter compared to her pale skin. She was a well developed woman, but she was classy about it and didn't wear clothes that her granddaughter would. Her face, though wrinkled, held wisdom and a true joy for life. "How long are you going to stand there?" Lorraine called out, lifting her head to look at Alfred.

"I thought you didn't know I was here," said Alfred, coming into the kitchen.

"I always know when you're near me," said Lorraine.

Alfred smiled and stood next to her. "What are you making?"

"A fruit salad just sounded really good to me," said Lorraine.

"That does sound good," said Alfred.

"Of course it does. So what are you up to today?"

"I was rather hoping to spend my day with a beautiful woman named Lorraine Hallowell," said Alfred.

Lorraine smiled and kissed his cheek, "You old charmer."

"Only for you, my dear lady."

/V/V/V/V/V/V/V

Bruce looked around the store aimlessly. He didn't want to check on Annie, really. He wanted her just to have a good time today. Besides, she didn't even tell him where she was going. _But you could find out_, a voice in his head said. Bruce shook his head and kept looking around the clothing store. Some of his shirts were getting too many blood stains, from Batman's wounds, and they wouldn't come out. Annie was a special girl. Bruce couldn't believe half of the things she went through. Of course, he could never tell her that he knew. How stupid would that be? Hi, Annie, just so you know; I looked into your past and found out why your mom was in Arkham and why you shot your dad. No, he couldn't do that. But he did want to tell her about Batman. She had only been in his life for a couple of months and he couldn't have been happier. Annie was sweet and smart and something totally different from those model girls he used to date. None of them could hold a torch to Annie. Bruce was looking at a shirt when a familiar voice asked, "Bruce, what are you doing here?"

Bruce turned to see Annie staring at him with her arms crossed in front of her. "I'm shopping and before you accuse me of following you, you didn't even tell me where you were going. I just want a couple of new shirts."

"Fine."

The awkward silence began to grow between them.

"So…are you having a good time?" Bruce asked.

Annie smiled, "Yeah, I really am. Don't get that shirt." She added the last bit as she looked at the items in his hands. She took the shirt from the top of the pile and out it back on the rack.

"What was wrong with it?"

"It didn't go with your skin color. Just trust me."

"Hey, Annie," Katie said, coming around the corner, "what do you think about…oh. Uh, hey…Mr. Wayne." She seemed to lose the ability to talk around her boss.

"Hi, Katie," said Bruce. "Well, I was just going to go. Um…I'll see you later, Annie. Bye Katie."

"Bye," the girls chorused.

"That was awkward," said Katie.

"Completely," added Annie. "Come on, we've got more shopping to do."

It was about nine o'clock when Annie entered the Wayne Manor. She had had such a good time and was totally exhausted. Lorraine was in bed and Alfred was asleep on the couch waiting up for her, she assumed. Annie got a blanket and placed it over Alfred. Bruce was probably in bed or exercising. He had told her that he had trouble sleeping and so to help himself, he went out late at night for a little exercise routine. Annie asked why he didn't just take some medicine, but he said that made him feel sick. Annie went up to her room, put on her pajamas, and went to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

~Flashback/dream~

"_There better be a damn good reason why you are neglecting your duties as a wife, bitch," Logan screamed at his wife. "There is dust on the top of the fridge. Do you want us to die? The dust could get into our food. Congratulations, you have caused the death of me and the girls."_

"_Don't talk about them like you care about them!" exclaimed Belle, holding her arm where her husband had punched her. "You beat Annie yesterday just for answering the phone!"_

"_It was your mother. That woman wants to tear this family apart."_

"_She was calling like she always does. She always calls us once a week and you know that!" Annie was terrified. Her parents were fighting again. Daddy always got mean when he was angry. As quietly as possible, Annie crawled to Harley's room. Harley was only four and didn't really understand what was going on. Annie finally reached Harley's room and crept in. She was sleeping. She always managed to sleep. Annie began crawling back to her room when she realized her parents were fighting in the living room and would most likely see her. Annie curled herself into a ball and stayed at the corner of the room with her hands over her ears. She shut her eyes tightly and wished for it all to go away. Then someone came up to her and kicked her shin. Annie opened her eyes to see her father towering over her._

"_Why are you out of bed?"_

"_I…I was…ch-checking o-on Harleen," said Annie. She almost called her sister Harley, but Logan hated that more than anything and beat her for saying the name._

"_Why were you disturbing your sister?"_

"_I wasn't disturbing her. I thought I heard her get up so I went to her room, b-but she was asleep," Annie answered._

_Logan bent down and his hands gripped onto Annie's upper arms, his nails digging into her skin. He lifted her off the floor and her feet dangled. Annie looked to see her mother unconscious on the ground. Logan followed her eye sight, grinned, and looked back at Annie. "Annette," he told her softly, "we could be friends or enemies. I understand that you care about Harleen, but you mustn't disturb her. She'll be a beautiful one, do you know that? But to be beautiful, she needs sleep. You mustn't go to her room during the night again. Do you understand? If she needs something, I'll get it for her. I get anything she wants…or desires. Of course, the desires will come when she's older and more developed."_

_Annie felt like she was going to be sick when she looked into her father's distant eyes. He began licking his lips and he only did that when he wanted momma. Not for the first time was Annie glad that she was no beauty in her father's eyes. She was lucky to be a brunette like him because he liked blonds. "I-I un-der-s-stand," Annie stuttered._

_Logan's gaze focused on her and his smiled, "Of course you do. You're my smart girl, aren't you?" He set Annie down on her feet and patted her head. "Now go to bed."_

_Annie didn't hesitate and walked as quickly as possible to her room. She shut her door and locked it. Then she climbed into her bed, burrowed herself underneath the covers, and cried herself to sleep._

~End flashback/dream~

Annie woke up and shot up, gasping. Her hand gripped at the material over her heart. "Just a dream," she whispered. "Just a memory." Her breathing finally came back to her control and with shaking hands she pulled the covers off of her. Annie got out of bed and headed down stairs to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of milk and got the secret stash of chocolate chip cookies Lorraine hid from everyone but her. Annie sat at the island of the kitchen and began eating. She occasionally wiped away a tear that fell, but she was soon distracted by a noise. Annie turned to see Bruce walking into the kitchen. He had just gotten out of the shower and was walking around only in pajama pants and was drying his hair with a towel. He looked just as surprised to see her. "Hey," Annie whispered.

"Hi," said Bruce. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," said Annie. She took a cookie from the package and held it out to him. "Want a cookie?"

Bruce set the towel on the island and took the cookie. He ate the cookie and Annie turned back to her glass of milk. Her shoulders hunched as though she was trying to disappear. "What's wrong?"

Out of surprise, Annie turned to him and answered, "N-nothing."

"Annie," said Bruce.

"I…I just had a bad dream, okay?"

"What was it about?" Bruce came to her side and began rubbing her back.

Annie had to close her eyes to fight the tears that so desperately wanted to fall. "There was a bully when I was kid and he threatened the lives of my family. He even threatened to do…well, to do much more horrible things to Harley," she answered in a trembling voice.

"Oh, you mean he wanted to—"

"Yeah…he wanted to…rape Harley."

"But he didn't threaten you?"

Annie sniffed, "I wasn't his type. He preferred blonds. However, I did make a good punching bag. He really liked beating me."

It took all of Bruce's willpower not to go punch something. His anger was getting the best of him. Annie just looked so hopeless and broken. It was heart-breaking. "Why?" he asked in a strained voice.

"I never screamed. I didn't beg for mercy and I didn't cry out in pain. It was a fun challenge for him," said Annie. She sighed and seemed to break out of her trance. She shook her head of the bad memories and did a double take of Bruce. There were dark circles underneath his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you up. You must be dead tired. Go to bed. I'm just going to stay down here for a bit."

"I don't want to leave you alone. I'll stay with you," said Bruce.

"You'll kill yourself if you run ragged like this. Honestly, I'm fine," said Annie.

"I don't believe you."

"Why?"

"Because you look like you still want to cry."

Annie glared half heartedly at him and then looked away. Bruce sighed and took the cookies away and put her glass of milk in the sink. "What are you doing?"

"I think we both need to get some sleep," said Bruce. He held his hand out to her.

Annie raised her eyebrows at him. "Bruce, seriously, what are you doing?"

"I think you could use a protector this time you try to sleep."

"You mean you want to sleep together?"

"In the literal sense; yes."

"Bruce, come on, be serious."

"I am," said Bruce. He looked at her with such sincere eyes that Annie couldn't doubt him.

Annie sighed and took his hand. Together, they walked up the stairs to Annie's bedroom. Why that one? She had no idea, but Bruce tucked her into bed before turning off the light and climbing into bed next to her. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her against his chest. Her back was against him, but she turned her head and whispered, "Bruce?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." She turned her head to face forward again when she felt Bruce rise. His lips brushed against her ear and she could feel his breath. It made her shiver in delight.

"I'll always be here, Annie," he whispered. Bruce went back to his original position and hoped that was the truth. 


	14. Confrontations

A/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! I unexpectedly went on a hiatus without even realizing. I don't know what happened. Life just got crazy and to be honest…I was running on empty for creative juices for this story and I didn't want to give you guys something disgusting. Anyways, thank you so much for sticking with this story. You guys have no idea how special you make me feel. What can I say? I love you guys 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything to do with him. I only own the OCs I created in my head (it's a scary place in there: DON'T GO IN).**

**Chapter 14: Confrontations**

In the early morning, Alfred was awake before everyone. Old habits die hard he guessed. Whenever he was away on missions he was always the one to wake up first, be the most alert; it was just him. This day was no different. He wasn't a different man. This day wasn't going to be any different than the ordinary. So when he went outside to get the mail, imagine his surprise when he found a letter addressed to Annie by magazine letters (like how the killers do it in the movies so that they can't be found by their hand writing). Alfred quickly looked over all he could see of the property and no one was there. Keeping his senses on high alert, Alfred went back inside and headed to the kitchen. He put the mail on the counter, but Annie's letter was folded up and put into his pocket. The young woman was sweet and he didn't want her to be worried. Alfred went up stairs to Bruce's room to inform him of the letter when he saw Bruce coming out of Annie's room. They both paused at the hallway and stared at each other—one in curiosity and the other in shock of being caught. "Good morning, sir," Alfred said as polite as ever.

"Nothing happened Alfred," Bruce replied sternly.

Alfred smiled in his knowing way, "I never said anything did happen, Master Bruce. I was merely coming to wake you up to tell you something, but I can see that you're very busy."

"Very funny," said Bruce. "So what do you want to tell me that couldn't wait for a decent time?"

"Miss Annie has received a letter of a…disturbing nature," said Alfred. He took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to Bruce who tensed as he saw the writing on the envelope.

"The post office wouldn't send mail like this."

"No they wouldn't, sir."

"Someone knows she's staying here."

"That would be the safe thing to assume, sir."

"We have to tell Annie about this, don't we?"

"Well, sir, it is a crime to steal mail."

"Who's mail are you two stealing?"

The men turned to see Annie who still looked like she could sleep for a week. "Hey," Bruce whispered, coming to her and wrapping his arms around her. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Now I heard my name mentioned and I'd like to know what's going on," Annie demanded, slightly pushing Bruce away from her. She looked at his hands and saw the letter. "I take it that letter in your hands belongs to me. Give it to me…please." She held out her hand.

Bruce handed it to her, "Is there something you want to tell us?"

Annie looked over the envelope and chuckled bitterly, "Damn, I thought I could keep this a secret a bit longer. Look, the simple version is that my father owed money to the mob and I've been paying them back. Now they're telling me that my dead father is actually alive and they think I've been lying to them so I'm in trouble. That's it. I came here because I didn't feel safe at home. I should've told you the truth and I'm sorry. I'm just…used to handling things alone."

"And when your 'contractor' was done with your apartment: what were you going to do?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know. I was going to cross that bridge when I got there."

"That's a really bad plan."

"Eh, I've come up with worse."

"This does bring up a very good question," Alfred said before Bruce could reply.

Bruce and Annie looked at him.

"Is your father really alive?"

Bruce's gaze shifted to Annie.

"I don't know how he can be. He was shot in the chest," said Annie. "Besides, he was an alcoholic and wasn't even in that great of shape."

"You don't have to be to live after getting shot. It just makes recovery easier. It depends on where he was shot," said Bruce.

Annie looked at him skeptically, "His chest?"

"Right or left side?"

"I think…it was his right."

"The heart is on the left. Chances are that would've killed him, but with the right side he might've lived," said Bruce.

"No he couldn't. The police told me he was dead," Annie objected.

"Are you sure they were actual police officers?"

"Considering I was in a police station, yeah, I'm pretty confident they were actual police officers. Ugh, it's too early to deal with this. Thank God it's Sunday." She walked past the two men and headed down stairs to the kitchen where her grandmother was making breakfast.

"Bonjour, amour. Comment vous sentez-vous des oeufs pour le petit déjeuner ?" _Good morning, love. How do you feel about eggs for breakfast?_

Annie sat down at the counter, hiding the letter in her lap, "Cela semble magnifique, la mamie. Mais j'ai quelque chose pour vous dire et vous ne l'aimerez pas." _It sounds wonderful, grandma. But I have something to tell you and you won't like it. _

Lorraine turned around to look at her granddaughter and smiled. She began to stroke Annie's hair, "Quels que soit il est vous doivent dire, le feu vert. Vous savez que vous pouvez me dire n'importe quoi. Je serai toujours ici pour vous. Maintenant, dites-moi qu'et nous le fixerons ensemble." _Whatever it is you have to say, go ahead. You know you can tell me anything. I'll always be here for you. Now, tell me what is wrong and we'll fix it together._

Bruce and Alfred came into the kitchen then as Annie put the letter on the counter. She seemed hesitant, but Lorraine's smile gave her courage.

"La mamie, vous vous souvenez de tout que je vous ai dit de la foule et de Logan, n'est ce pas ? Bien, ils savent que je suis ici et me l'ai envoyé. Alfred et Bruce ont trouvé la lettre et j'ai dû leur dire tout. Ils veulent aider. En plus je ne crois pas que je ne puisse le faire seul plus. Je m'excuse de l'apporter sur vous." _Grandma, you remember all that I told you about the mob and Logan, right? Well, they know I'm here and sent me this. Alfred and Bruce found the letter and I had to tell them everything. They want to help. Besides, I don't think I can do it alone anymore. I'm sorry for bringing this on you._ Annie stared down at her hands ashamedly. She didn't like bringing others into her problems. It made her feel weak.

"Annette," Lorraine said sternly, "there are some problems that not even you can handle alone. Truthfully, I'm glad the boys finally know. I've wanted their help all this time."

"I know and I shouldn't have let my pride get in the way of our safety. I'm sorry," Annie said softly.

"What's done is done. Now, let's figure out what to do. What does that letter say?" Lorraine asked.

"I haven't opened it yet," said Annie. She took the envelope and opened it. She read it aloud to everyone, "Miss Hallowell, things are not going as planned. I know your father is alive, but now I also know that you didn't. I suppose this is quite a shock for you. I'm willing to forget this whole ordeal if you pay off his debt as per our original agreement. If you refuse, I completely understand and will settle for torturing your father to death (and I'll make sure he's dead). He would like me to put in this letter that he is begging on his knees for you to save him and pay the debt. Should you choose to save him, I'll have Trent meet you this Friday at the docks at eight o'clock. He will also have your father and please come alone. I promise that no harm will come to you. Good day."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"I guess we know what we're going to do," said Lorraine.

Annie turned to her confusedly, "We do?"

"Of course; we'll leave your father to deal with his consequences," Lorraine answered as though it was obvious.

"Grandma!" Annie was shocked.

"What? You actually _want_ to save that man? You want to save the man who beat your mother and you? He's the reason your mother is in Arkham! Not to mention what he tried to do to Harley!"

"Grandma!" Annie growled, gesturing to Bruce and Alfred.

"You still haven't told them that?"

"No, since I've only known them a _few months_!"

"Oh."

Annie's face glowed red from embarrassment, "Well this is awkward."

"Only slightly," said Bruce. "Anything else you liked to confess?"

"Well…you know that 'foreign man with a little dog' thing I told you the first time we met? I've used that material before."

Bruce smirked, "Anything serious you'd like to confess?"

"Serious? No, not really. What about you? Anything you'd like to tell me?"

_Everything_. "No," said Bruce.

"At least you're dating someone honest for once," said Lorraine.

Bruce had to try very hard not to spill all of his secrets out of guilt.

"Look, I know Logan is a bastard that doesn't even deserve to live, but I also know how my mother raised me. I know how my grandmother taught me that no man may judge another. No man is as perfect as God," said Annie.

"I seem to remember you daydreaming when I said that," Lorraine said dryly.

"Grandma, I can't let someone die like that," said Annie. "Not even him."

Lorraine sighed, "Annie…you do remember the day that Logan supposedly died right? You remember who shot him?"

Annie rolled her eyes, "Yes, grandma, I remember."

"I don't remember because I wasn't there so feel free and tell me what happened," said Alfred.

"I was 18 and Harley was 14," said Annie.

~*Flashback*~

_It was Saturday and Annie was finally done at work. She had to pick up the slack like no other when Logan cornered Belle into a mental breakdown. Belle had been committed to Arkham Asylum and Annie had to take care of the cooking, cleaning, and even paid a few bills on top of school work. She also had to take care of Harley and that was getting tricky since Logan wanted to spend more and more time with Harley. Annie always had to make sure that Harley was over at a friend's house for the weekend much like this one. Annie pulled into the driveway and shut off her car. It was a piece of junk, but it got her from point A to point B. She got out and walked tiredly to her front door until she heard screaming. Waking up and nerves on edge, Annie ran into the house to see Logan on top of a screaming and crying Harley. "GET OFF HER!" Annie screamed. She tackled Logan off and Harley scrambled away while trying to put her shirt on as hurriedly as possible. _

"_Annie!" Harley exclaimed._

_Annie kicked Logan's face and he was distracted long enough for her to say, "Get in my truck! The keys are inside!"_

_Harley ran out and Logan came back. _

_He pushed Annie to the ground and wrapped his fingers around her throat. Annie could feel the air leaving her lungs. Remembering the self-defense course her high school gave, Annie pushed one of her arms through the space between his until her shoulder broke his hold. Then she clawed at his eyes, but he kicked her away. Annie scrambled to get up and ran to Logan's bedroom where he hid his shotgun. He had taught Annie how to use it so that she could protect Harley. She would've laughed at the irony if Logan wasn't chasing her to kill her. "GET BACK HERE YOU BITCH!" he screamed._

_Annie's shaking hands took hold of the gun and she pointed it at Logan who froze. "Stay away," Annie threatened. She cursed her trembling voice._

_Logan smirked at her, "You're not going to shoot me, Annette."_

"_Yeah? And why the hell not?"_

"_I'm your daddy."_

"_Dads don't beat their daughters. Dads don't try to rape their daughters. Dads don't try to make moms go insane. You are so not my dad!" Annie exclaimed._

"_Nor are you a killer. Face it, Annette, you've always been the sweet one. You always had to keep the family together. You're not as strong as you like to think you are. You're nothing. You're less loved, less pretty, less everything. You're not at all wanted and now here's your chance to get revenge and you won't do it. You're tired of the burden being on your shoulders, but it makes you feel important and so you will never give it up. You're pathetic and that's all you'll ever be," Logan said cruelly. He stepped forward._

"_Get back or I'll shoot you!" Annie exclaimed._

_He took another step forward._

"_Get back!"_

_Another step. He was in arm's length._

_BANG._

_Annie froze. Her hands continued to shake as she looked down at her father. Blood seeped through his shirt. She dropped the gun and her breaths came in pants. Then she ran like hell out of the room, out of the house, and into her truck. She took a few deep breaths and looked at Harley. "Are you hurt?"_

"_No," Harley whispered. "What are we gonna do?"_

"_First, we're getting out of her. Then, we're going to the police like we should've done a long time ago," said Annie. She put her keys in the ignition and drove off. The girls reached the police station and told them what happened. The police sent two officers to recover the body, but the house had been burned down with a body inside. The girls were lucky since their rooms were hardly touched and so most of their things were still intact. They got their stuff, got a crappy apartment, and were actually happy for once in their lives._

_~*End Flashback*~_

Annie sighed as she finished telling the story. "That's what happened, but I don't see how I'm better than him if I let him rot in some mobster's torture closet. For true justice to be done, we should turn in Logan and the mob guy to the police. That is the right course of action."

"Annie, you shouldn't get involved with the mob. Everyone who interferes with the mob and its prey usually end up dead," said Lorraine.

"Batman doesn't," Annie pointed out.

"You're not Batman."

"Batman can help."

"How will you get him to help?"

"I don't know. We can…go to Jim Gordon. Everyone knows that light on the police station is for Batman. Maybe he can get Batman to help us," Annie suggested.

"The mobster told you go alone. That Trent man will probably kill you!"

"Not if Batman is there to stop him."

Lorraine scoffed, "What about Logan? I'm sure daddy dearest will not be thrilled to see the daughter who shot him."

"That's where Jim Gordon and the police come in. Come on, grandma, it's our best shot."

"What do you boys think?" Lorraine asked Alfred and Bruce.

"It sounds like your best option," said Bruce.

"I must agree with Master Bruce. If anyone can help, it's Batman," said Alfred.

"I don't like this."

I don't see anything else we can do."

"Fine, but you better call Harley and warn her about what's going on."

"I've been trying to call her, but she won't pick up. She's been spending a lot of time at Arkham with Joker. She thinks she's close to a breakthrough with him," said Annie.

"Wait, she's Joker's doctor?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, she insists she can handle it, but now I'm not so sure anymore."

"I guess we'll find out eventually."

Annie looked nervous about it, "Yeah, I guess."

"Enough, we're going to have a nice breakfast and then we can go about and get this plan on the road," said Lorraine. The three followed her orders and sat down to eat a nice breakfast before the real plan could begin.


	15. Twists

A/N: Hello, my dear reader. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my story. I hope you enjoy. Please review. They make me very happy inside.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman. Thanks for making me rub it in my face :(**

**Chapter 15: Twists**

Annie sat outside of Jim Gordon's office as she waited for him to get done with his current meeting. She took out her cell phone and called Harley again. She lost count of how many times she tried to reach her sister. "Come on, Harley, pick up," Annie growled. Hearing all the rings was getting on her nerves.

"_This is Dr. Quinzel. I can't make it to the phone. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Remember; there's always someone who will listen_," the voicemail said again.

"Dammit, Harley, will you answer? I really need to talk to you. Harley, he's alive. Logan's alive. Come on, you really need to call me back. Please. I love you. Bye," said Annie. She hung up and sighed.

Bruce came back from the restroom and sat next to her on the bench. He took her hand in his and asked, "She still won't answer?"

"No," Annie answered. "I don't get it. Why won't she answer? Joker will still be in Arkham tomorrow. I called Arkham. She's gone over time with her hours. They told her they won't pay her for it, but she doesn't care as long as she can cure her patient. It's like she's going insane now."

"I'm sure she's fine," Bruce said the words in a hallow voice. He had been worried about the same thing. He knew Joker—he could get into your head and convince you to do things you wouldn't normally do. Joker destroyed you so that you were desperate to get rid of the pain in any way possible.

"Bruce, I…I just want to thank you. Most guys would go running and screaming by now. You're something else entirely," said Annie.

"No one would run. Not if it's you he's fighting for," said Bruce.

"If he was smart he would."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not smart."

Annie smiled, but turned to the opening door.

Jim Gordon came out and looked at Annie, "Miss Hallowell, Mr. Wayne; please come in."

Bruce and Annie stood and walked into the office and sat down in the chairs Gordon gestured to.

"Well, Miss Hallowell, since I know you weren't involved in another robbery, this must be something else," said Gordon.

"It is something else…and possibly worse," said Annie. "Look, it's kind of hard to explain, but the important thing is that I can get you a lead on the mob."

Gordon paused for a moment and stared at Annie. How would this girl have a lead on the mob when not even the clean cops did? "Alright, Miss Hallowell, you have my attention. Why don't you start from the beginning?"

**V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/VV/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/**

Harley looked into her compact mirror to fix her make-up for the fifth time. She put it away again and drummed her nails on the table. Today was the day. She was going to earn a place in Joker's heart. He had let her in by telling her things he never shared with anyone. She was honored by it and even told her own secrets. Annie was always willing to talk to her about the past, but Harley knew how much that heard her sister. With Joker, though, there was nothing to hold back. He was so sweet and understanding. Harley couldn't believe no one ever saw that in him. She turned to face the door as two orderlies brought Joker into the room. They set him down in the chair opposite her and left. "Hey, Mr. J," said Harley.

"Harles, long time no see," said Joker. "To what do I owe the surprise?"

"Is this real?" asked Harley.

"Is what real?"

Harley gestured impatiently between the two of them, "_This_. Between us. Is it real?"

"Of course it's real. Why would you doubt something as beautiful as our love?"

"How could I not? You're this smart, creative, handsome guy and I'm just a pathetic girl who had to depend on a dead husband's money to actually make something of my life. I'm nothing like Annie," said Harley.

"You don't need to be like Annie. She's sounds like a peachy girl, but she's nothing like you. Do you think Annie would try to help me like you? Do you think Annie really cares about anyone? I know her type. She doesn't do good works to do something good. She does it to get recognition. You've got a lot more than her and I don't want you to doubt that. I need you Harley. In fact, I love you," said Joker. He smiled as Harley's eyes lit up.

That was the deal breaker. Harley knew what she had to do.

And Joker knew too.

"Today, you're going to walk free," said Harley.

"And how exactly will I do that?"

"I have security to go in every room of this asylum. I also know where all the cameras are and how to avoid them. There's also the manner of hiring a very nice tech man who knows how to keep the cameras from seeing us without tipping the security guards," said Harley. She stood and walked to Joker, making sure he noticed the sway of her hips. Grinning like a fool she asked, "Now, Mr. J, would you like out of that uncomfortable straight jacket?"

"Doll, you read my mind," said Joker.

Harley freed him from the jacket and led him out the door. No one was in the hall. Harley thanked her stars as she led Joker through the maze that was Arkham Asylum. They went outside and almost reached her car when the alarm sounded. Joker and Harley jumped into the car and sped off as orderlies ran out to catch them. One orderly stopped several feet in front of the car, thinking that Harley wouldn't hurt him like that. He was wrong. She ran him down with no remorse. The gate opened (courtesy of the very nice tech man) and they were gone. Joker was free.

Two orderlies stood together and stared after the car in disgust. One asked, "Shouldn't a doctor be able to withstand the crazies here?"

The other one sighed and replied, "I don't know, but there goes Employee of the Month."

**V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/**

Annie finished telling her story to Gordon and was glad to have it done. He was quiet for a minute or two, taking in what she had said. He finally looked up at her and said, "I'm going to have as many cops as possible there with you to intercept Trent Pascal. We've been wanting to nab him for months, but never got the chance. You said he wants to meet you on Friday at the docks?"

"Yes, at eight o'clock," said Annie.

"Alright, Miss Hallowell—"

"Annie. Please, call me Annie."

"Okay, Annie, you will be meeting Pascal at the docks where you will be surrounded by policemen. You'll have a wire to record the entire meeting and then we'll get Pascal and get you and your father out of there," said Gordon.

"Will that work? I mean, will we'll really be safe?" asked Annie.

"There is a large risk. I won't lie to you. Pascal is dangerous and one of the best shooters that's ever been seen. There is a chance of getting hurt. Are you willing to take that chance? We could do it without you. It sounds like he'll be there anyways waiting for you," said Gordon.

"But you need him to admit to the crimes to arrest him," said Annie.

"Annie, it is wrong to abduct someone and torture them—even someone like your father," Gordon said not unkindly.

"What about Batman?"

"What about him?"

"I really think he could help out. Are you going to tell him about this?"

Gordon smiled, "Batman has a tendency to know things even before me. Chances are he's already aware of your predicament. Besides, I'm afraid technical protocol is to arrest the vigilante known as Batman."

"Oh, I understand," said Annie. "Well, um, is there anything else I need to know?"

"Before you meet Pascal on Friday, I will meet with you to put the wire on. Don't worry, it'll be a female officer putting it on you. I'll be there just to go over the plan with you one last time. Until then, I think it wise that a few guys watch over your residence in case you get in trouble," said Gordon.

"I'm not at my apartment, though. I'm staying with Bruce," said Annie.

Gordon turned to Bruce, "Then, do we have your permission to watch over your property, Mr. Wayne?"

"Yes…anything to keep Annie safe is welcomed by me," said Bruce. He tightened his hold on Annie's hand.

"Good. Annie; I advise keeping a low profile in the next couple of days. You don't need to bring any attention to yourself. I'll send some of my best men to you immediately," Gordon said, standing up. He walked to the door as Bruce and Annie stood and opened it for them.

Before leaving the office, Annie smiled at him and whispered, "Thank you." Her free hand grabbed his and gave it a quick squeeze.

Gordon couldn't help but to smile back at her and gave her hand a squeeze back, "Any time." They let go and Bruce and Annie left the office to leave the police station. A rookie on the force then ran up to the Commissioner. Gordon tensed, "What is it, Anderson?"

"There was a break out at Arkham. Joker escaped…with the help of one of the doctors," said Anderson.

"Who helped him?" Gordon asked, outraged. When did the nuts take over the nut-house?

"Dr. Harleen Quinzel, sir," said Anderson.

Gordon hurriedly when to his desk and strapped on his gun and put on his coat. "What do we know about her?" Gordon barked at Anderson as they hurriedly walked to the car to go deal at the situation with Arkham.

"Harleen Quinzel, age 26, had a rich husband who died, her mom's in Arkham, her grandma is here on a temporary visa, she's got a sister named Annette Hallowell—"

"Did you say Annette Hallowell?"

"Yes, sir."

"Doesn't life give you funny twists?" Gordon muttered to himself.

"Sir?" Anderson asked, confusion taking over his face.

"Nothing," said Gordon. They reached the car, got in, and drove off to Arkham Asylum.

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Annie and Bruce walked to the car silently. Bruce, raised as a gentleman, opened the door for Annie and closed it when she was well situated. He went to the driver's side and got behind the wheel. "Bruce?" Annie asked.

"Yes?"

"I quit."

"What?" He pulled out of their spot and the driveway and began driving home.

"I quit being your secretary. Let's face it, drama sticks to me like a band-aid on a hairy arm. It makes me take time off. I need flexible hours and being your secretary doesn't give me that. Plus, I'm not really happy there. Don't get me wrong; you are a great boss, but it wasn't my dream growing up to manage someone else's life and to get their coffee or et cetera. It's just…I need something more."

"What will you do then?"

"Katie's brother owns an architecture firm. He's willing to give me a shot as a personal favor to Katie. Honestly, I think he's just impressed I've got Bruce Wayne on my clientele," said Annie. "I start next week. You're not mad, are you?"

"No, I'm not mad," said Bruce. He wasn't. It was just harder to keep an eye on Annie now. If something happened at Annie's job, Bruce wouldn't be there right away to protect her or get her away for danger. He wasn't too fond of that.

"I meant to tell you sooner, but I was a coward. I was kind of afraid of your reaction. You've been great to me and I didn't want you to think I was throwing it in your face," said Annie. Her stomach had been in knots for the last few days and it was nice to get rid of one of the worries.

"Ann, you don't need to worry about my ego," Bruce told her softly.

She smiled as her stomach did flips. He called her Ann. No one had ever done that before. She always liked the name, but people only saw her as eight-year-old Annie with her braids and fondness for unicorns. Ann sounded like it was meant for a mature woman. She turned her face to him even though he had to concentrate on the road and couldn't look at her back. "I know. Look, we can talk about this another time. Why don't we just go home?"

It was Bruce's turn to smile and she noticed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You said home," said Bruce.

"Hon, I'm lost here. What's significant about saying home?"

"It means you're happy…it means you're happy with me and staying with me. That place hasn't been home in a long time. It hasn't felt that way for a long time…until you and Lorraine came to stay with us," said Bruce. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. He continued to hold her hand across the seat as he drove home. They pulled into the driveway of the mansion and parked. Bruce turned off the car and turned to face Annie.

"Bruce, I am happy. It's a completely insane thing to say because of everything that's going on, but I really am happy. You've made me happy. That's all there is to it," Annie said in a misty voice.

Bruce gently brushed her hair out of her eyes. Then he began to stroke the side of her face. He began to bring her into a trance which suddenly ended in sparks as he outlined the shape of her lips.

"If you don't kiss me right now I'm going to have to take my sexual frustration to someone else," said Annie.

Bruce glared at her and put his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her to him to kiss her. He growled as she pushed herself closer to him to deepen the kiss. Their hearts began racing as one as their hands explored the other's body, making the other more desperate for contact. Annie's hands traveled to Bruce's hair while his lips left hers to travel across her jaw to go to her neck. He began to nibble on her neck, causing her to moan. She pulled his lips back to hers and wouldn't let him go until someone tapped on the car window. Bruce and Annie tore apart—Annie began fixing her outfit and hair while Bruce turned to see Alfred smirking at them. Well, Bruce saw parts of Alfred (he hadn't realized how much steam there was between him and Annie). The two got out of the car and looked like sorry teens in trouble. Bruce was the first to recover, "Was there something you needed, Alfred?"

"I just came to check on you two, Master Wayne. I wanted to make sure it wasn't raining in the car," Alfred replied still smiling.

"Right…well, I'm going to go see where grandma is and tell her about the day. Bye," Annie replied. She walked away without looking at either one, the blush very apparent on her face.

Bruce sent Alfred a sour look (to which Alfred shrugged innocently) before they began walking to the house.

"OH MY GOD!" Annie screamed.

Bruce, Alfred, and Lorraine rushed to the living room where Annie's eyes were glued to the television in horror. The news was doing a special report about Arkham.

"Today, the police ask people to be on guard and to call the number at the bottom of the screen if someone has any information about the Joker's or Dr. Quinzel's whereabouts. Unclear of motivation, Dr. Quinzel has helped the Joker escape from Arkham Asylum. Reports are saying that—"

By then, Bruce turned off the television for Annie's sake. Her face lost all color as she stared at the television as though the report was still on. Bruce went to her side. "Annie?" he whispered.

She wouldn't reply or look at him

Bruce looked to Lorraine and Alfred in panic. They both looked just as worried. Bruce turned back to Annie and gently grabbed her trembling hand. She didn't even fight as he pulled her to sit on the sofa. "Annie…"

"She couldn't. She wouldn't," Annie began to chant over and over. It felt like there was this huge weight on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Eventually, she stopped and looked at Bruce with glassy eyes. "I should've put my foot down with her. I should've stopped her from treating him. Why did I give up so easily?"

"Annie, there was nothing you could do," Bruce said while wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"She's my baby sister. I'm supposed to protect her," Annie argued.

"You can't always protect those you love. Eventually, they'll have to make life choices for themselves," Alfred was speaking to Annie, but Bruce felt Alfred's eyes on him.

"Annie, my darling, Harley's always had a strong head. She never listened to you. She's independent," said Lorraine.

"Yeah," Annie replied quietly. She stood up and wiped the one tear that escaped away. Without looking at any of them, Annie walked to her bedroom and slammed the door shut—discouraging anyone from visiting her to cheer her up.

"Why would Harley go with that loon?" Lorraine asked.

"Joker has a…talent to get into people's heads," said Bruce. His eyes never strayed from where Annie left.

**V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/V/**

Harley drove calmly to the hideout as Joker got dressed in his usual attire in the back seat. He didn't seem pleased with her driving. "Why are you going so slow?"

"To keep suspicion away. If we speed, the cops will be on us like white on rice," said Harley. She increased her speed a little bit, but was still near the speed limit. "Ouch!" she cried when she felt a pinch on her arm. Harley glanced in her rear view mirror quickly to see Joker glaring at her.

"Don't say that again. I hate that stupid expression," he growled at her.

"Alright. You could've just told me, you know," said Harley. "There was no need to hurt me." She pulled into an alley and parked the car behind an abandoned building. She turned off the car and got out. She was walking to the building when Joker grabbed her upper arm in a vice grip and spun her to face him. The blood in her veins froze in fear as he stared at her in a cold fury.

He slapped her. "_I'll_ decide what needs to be done and what doesn't need to be done. I'm the boss here. Do you understand that?" When Harley nodded he kissed the cheek he slapped. "Good." Together they walked into the building where six men were waiting for them. "Who are these guys?" Joker looked around the building. It was sparsely furnished with a few chairs, a couch, a television, and a bunch of computers. But it did have comforts of home like a bathroom, working water, electricity, and a fridge. A small guy sat at the computers; typing furiously and looking at the screens intently. The others stood around, waiting for Joker's approval to do something.

"These are your newest employees. The big blond is Jeff who knows everything about cars, the lean redhead is Tim who has very sticky fingers, the short blond is Jake who got us the electricity here, the tall brunette is Mike who has physical strength on his side, the shorter brunette is Jimmy who can pick the lock of every door known to mad, and the one at the computer is Ethan. He's the main reason we got out with relative ease," Harley explained.

"Why isn't he standing to greet his boss?" Joker inquired.

"Would that I could, but it's hard to stop working when you're trying to hack into the police computers. I'm surprised at all the protection they have, but I suppose Gordon's trying to clean up the police," Ethan chuckled. "He's gonna need a miracle for that mission impossible." He continued to type before slamming his hand on the table. "Damn. They've got someone as good as me protecting those computers. Not to worry, I'll get in." He looked at Joker and stood. "Welcome home, boss."

Joker was even more surprised to see two dogs running towards him and jumping on him as though he was their best friend. He patted their hands and looked at Harley.

She shrugged, "They make good guards. Besides, they were just so cute. Yes, you are." The last sentence was to the dogs who ran to her. She went to her knees and began playing with them.

Joker had to give her a soft smile as he watched her. He then realized that the guys were looking at him and turned away from Harley. "Well, boys, why don't we have some fun? I hear that banks are lovely at this time of year."

Everyone smiled.

Only Harley was the one who didn't mean it.

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The days passed quickly for Annie. After hearing the news about Joker and Harley robbing banks, she was ready to help to put some criminals in jail. It was Friday and Annie was in Gordon's office. The wire had just been put on and so he came back in the room when the female officer left. He gave her a reassuring smile. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," said Annie. She began fiddling with the sleeves of her shirt. "Do you think Batman will come?"

"Yes, I do. Um…Annie, I have a quick question for you," said Gordon.

"What is it?"

"Why did your grandmother call me to tell me the date had been changed for this meeting?"

Annie looked at him curiously, "She did? Huh, that's weird. She must've gotten confused. It's bound to happen to all of us, especially at her age."

"Right," Gordon said, but he didn't look convinced. "Are you ready to put the show on the road?"

"Yeah, let's do this thing," said Annie. She grabbed the bag of money and walked to her car. She drove to the docks with the police following her. At least, she thought they were. She couldn't tell; which was probably a good thing since they wanted the element of surprise. But it made her nervous. Reaching her destination, she parked and turned off the car before getting out, with the bag of money, to meet Trent Pascal who was at the end of the docks with her father.

The docks were eerie and silent as she walked toward the two men. The only sounds were the waves of the water and her shoes on the boards. She paused about 15 feet away from them. "Trent," she greeted.

"Annette, you remembered me," Trent replied with an easy smile. He looked cool and relaxed as he smoked his cigarette. "I must say, I'm a bit surprised that you came considering…considering all that has happened with your father."

"I curse my conscience. It won't stop bothering me if I let someone die the way your employer described," said Annie. "Logan, are you alright?"

Logan was on his knees beside Trent. He was badly bruised and had many cuts. One of his eyes was swollen shut while the other was red (probably from crying). He had a few bald spots in his brown hair and his skin was pasty. Annie realized that Trent had a gun pointed to his head.

"I thought the agreement was the money for his life," she said.

"It is, Annette, this is just for my personal protection. Even when down, your father will keep fighting. It's kind of amusing, actually," said Trent.

Annie looked at him incredulously, "You think it's _amusing_ to torture someone?"

"Don't talk back, Annette. He'll make you pay for it," Logan rasped.

Trent made like he was about to hit Logan, but then he noticed Annie tensing. "You're right, Annette. I shouldn't make light of something so serious. Now, we had an agreement. The money for your father's life. Give me the money and I'll send your father to you."

"How can I trust that? If I give you the money first then you'll have all the cards and I don't like playing that kind of game. Put your gun down, send my father to me, and then you get the money," said Annie.

"Now that sounds a bit unfair to me," said Trent. "Why should I put my gun down?"

"Because I'm not armed and I want to make sure that you aren't going to kill my father as soon as you have the money," said Annie.

"Do you really think so little of me, Annette?" Trent asked in feign hurt.

"Yes," Annie said bluntly. "You've been making my life hell since my birthday. You've threatened my life and my family's. You've hurt my father. I think you can see that puts a damper on our relationship."

"To be fair, I'm not the one that threatened you," said Trent.

"No, but you work for the person who does. Who should I give credit to?"

"I can't tell you that. My boss likes a certain…anonymity," said Trent.

"I have a right to know. What's wrong? Your boss doesn't have the balls to face me?"

"Annette, you should really watch what you say more often," Trent said with malice in his voice.

Logan shook his head furiously at Annie. His open eye looking terrified for her. Wait. Terrified for her?

Annie didn't have the time to process when she heard a voice from the shadows, "No, Trent, she has the right to know."

Annie's heart sped as she recognized the voice.

The voice's body came to join Trent. "Hello, Annie."

Annie couldn't believe it. "Grandma?"

Lorraine smiled, "I've been waiting to tell you about this for a long time."


	16. Answers

A/N: Hi everybody. Did the last chapter shock you? I was going for something unexpected. Thanks for all the reviews and I hope you guys keep it up (it keeps me wanting to write more **;)** ). On with the show.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman…it doesn't get any fancier than that.**

**Chapter 16: Answers**

"What the hell?" Annie exclaimed. She stared at her grandmother in disbelief. "You've been the one doing this to me? You're a mob boss? What?"

"I know you're very shocked right now," said Lorraine.

"Shocked? _Shocked_? Try furious or pissed," said Annie. "Seriously, what the hell? Are you even my grandma or was that a lie too?"

"Annie, you're being a bit dramatic," Lorraine reprimanded.

"I just found out that my father who's been dead for 12 years is actually alive. I just found out that my little sister is the girlfriend of a murdering psychopath. I just found out my grandmother is a mob boss who has been threatening my life for the past few months. And you think I'm being dramatic?" Annie rolled her eyes.

"Annette, please," said Lorraine. "What is that you want?"

"I want answers," said Annie.

"To know the question would be helpful, dear," said Lorraine.

Annie bit her tongue from retorting and instead looked at Logan. "You. How are you alive? I shot you and then the house was burned."

"I was wearing a bullet proof vest. I had some friends down at the police station and I told them that I wanted you and Harley to leave me. We cooked up the plan and when you and Harley ran, my friends and I burned the house," said Logan.

"The body the police found?"

"We dug up a grave and used the corpse."

"That's gross. Wait, why did you want Harley and me to leave? Why didn't you just leave? Why would the police help you?" Annie looked at him skeptically.

"Annie…marrying your mother and having you and your sister wasn't my choice. I didn't want that life with you girls and I didn't want to hurt you," said Logan.

"Then why?"

"Ask your grandmother."

Annie turned to Lorraine who looked slightly uncomfortable. "Alright, it was my fault for Logan's treatment of you three," said Lorraine. "You need to understand; all my life I've been a part of the mob as my parents and their parents before them and so on. It has always been in my family and we would make deals with other crime families. I married your grandfather after meeting him once because it was an arranged marriage. Then we had your uncle, your aunt, and your mother. Your uncle and aunt had died when I sent them in for a sting. It went terribly wrong and I've been mourning them every day. All I had left was your mother. Belle never really wanted that life, but she was the only one. I tried to reason with her, but she refused. She ran away."

"What does that have to do with Logan?" asked Annie.

"Hush, I'm getting to that," Lorraine snapped. "So she ran and I wanted her back. Your father owned me quite a bit of money. I was willing to let the debt go if he convinced Belle to come back home to me. Of course he agreed. He did everything possible. He beat you and your mother, isolated you, anything I could think of he did. That didn't stop your mother, though. I underestimated her love for this oaf." Lorraine looked at Logan in disgust.

"You underestimated her strength," Annie protested quietly.

Lorraine looked at her sympathetically, "She wasn't strong, dear. She's in Arkham now."

"That doesn't matter. She's still strong. She defended me, stood up to Logan, and stood up to you. Every day she has to handle nurses giving her pitying looks and stupid medications and therapy, but she never gives up and always hopes that she'll get better. She's stronger than what you'll ever be and I am proud to be her daughter," said Annie.

"Stronger than me?" Lorraine scoffed. "She ran away because she didn't have the guts to defend her family's honor. She'd rather put up with an abusive husband than take my place. Belle was too scared to be strong and I'm surprised that a smart girl like you can't see that."

"She just wanted to be away from _you_. She didn't want _you_ running _her_ life. She'd rather live in turmoil than the luxury you offered. If you can't see that, then you're delusional!" exclaimed Annie.

Lorraine glared at her and growled, "I'm still your grandmother Annette Hallowell and you will show me respect."

Annie laughed humorlessly, "Are you kidding me? You've been threatening my life and mom's while stealing money from me. Forgive me if I don't think that's grandmotherly behavior."

"I just wanted to know your loyalty," said Lorraine.

"Loyalty? To what?"

" To the family. To the business. You were willing to pay for something that wasn't your burden to protect you mother. That's perfect for our business," Lorraine explained, hope shining in her eyes.

"Our business? No, I will not be a part of this," said Annie.

Lorraine's smile tightened, "What do you mean, dear? Do you want to wait before taking over?"

"No, I don't want any of it! I like following the law thanks very much," said Annie.

"Annie; no," said Logan.

"You don't have a choice dear. Either you join or you die," said Lorraine. She pulled out a gun and pointed it at Annie.

"You would kill your granddaughter?" asked Annie.

"You know too much," said Lorraine.

"What about the police listening to this conversation?"

"I called them, dear, and told them the date has been changed," said Lorraine. "You're all alone. Not even _Batman_ is here to save you."

"That's where you're wrong. I called the police again. They're here and I'm wearing a wire. You're caught," Annie said boldly.

"You're really a thorn in my side," said Trent. He turned his gun to Annie, but something unexpected happen.

Logan body slammed into Trent and Lorraine, making them lose their balance. Lorraine fell and let go of her gun, dropping it in the harbor. Trent wasn't as unfortunate. He got up quickly and pointed his gun at Annie. He pulled the trigger twice.

Annie froze as the bullets raced toward her. But something or someone slammed into her; taking the bullets for her. "NO!" Annie screamed as she and Logan fell to the ground. Someone whipped passed the pair to restrain Lorraine and Trent. More shots were fired, but Annie could only focus on Logan. She laid his head in her lap as blood poured from the wounds. "Dad?"

Logan looked at her with tears in his eyes, "I-if…you have…o-one memory of m-m-me…let it…be…this." He closed his eyes and went still.

Annie shook his shoulders, "What are you doing? Wake up! Dammit, wake up!" One of her hands hurriedly searched his neck for a pulse. There was none.

"Annie," said a raspy voice.

Annie looked up to see Batman.

"He's gone."

Annie looked behind her when she heard the sirens and turned back to Batman. "The police are coming. You gotta get out of here or they'll arrest you. What's with your arm?"

Batman was holding his arm close to his body, "Pascal does have a good aim."

"Oh God," said Annie. "You are no way able to drive yourself." She ripped off the wire and stood to run to Batman's side. She put her hands on his uninjured arm and walked him to her car quickly. She put him in the back seat when Gordon pulled up. He got out of the car and rushed to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but I can't stay. Lorraine and Pascal are tied up at the end of the docks. Logan died protecting me. Please, can I go home?" Annie asked, blocking the window so Gordon couldn't see Batman.

Gordon hesitated.

"Please!" Annie cried.

"Alright, but come to my office tomorrow," Gordon ordered.

"You've got it," said Annie. She waited until Gordon walked away to get into her car and drive. She was on the roads, but looked in her rear view mirror often to see Batman. "Where can I take you?"

"Just drop me off in an alley. I'll make my way," said Batman.

"Are you kidding me? There's no way I'm letting an injured man walk the street alone at night, especially since of criminal in Gotham would love to get their hands on you now. Look, I won't tell anyone where you live if that's what you're worried about," said Annie.

"I said no," Batman snapped.

Annie swore and muttered something about "stupid male pride keep men from doing logical things like asking for directions and taking care of a gunshot wound." She looked back at Batman. "I'll take you to my place then. Are you always this stupidly stubborn?"

Batman refused to reply, but he eyed her warily as she pulled out her cell phone. "Who are you calling?"

"I have a friend named Alfred. I'm sure he can help," said Annie. Alfred was on speed-dial so Annie could reach him quickly. As she drove to her apartment, she was ecstatic when Alfred answered.

"Wayne residence?"

"Alfred! It's me. Look, this will sound insane, but I've got Batman in my backseat. He's hurt. He was shot in the arm and I'm taking him to my apartment and I don't know what to do and I need your help. Will you meet me at my apartment?"

"Right away," Alfred said urgently. He hung up before either person had a chance to say good bye.

Annie hung up her phone and looked at Batman again. "Hey, are you conscious back there?" She took his sigh as a yes. When she reached her apartment building she pulled into the alley and parked her car behind the building. Making sure the coast was clear; Annie led Batman to the fire escape. "Can you make it up there?"

"I'm sure I can manage," Batman said.

"No need to be snarky." It took awhile, but the two managed to make it to Annie's apartment. She tried to open her window. "I _would_ lock my windows. Do you have a paperclip or something?"

Batman stared at her incredulously.

"Are you seriously telling me in that freaking utility belt, you don't have something useful?" Annie rolled her eyes and took of her shoe. She broke one of the glass panes and reached in to unlock the window. When she did, she put her shoe back on before helping Batman inside. Annie helped him sit on the couch before drawing the curtains closed and turning on the lights. "Um…what should I do?"

"A first-aid kit would be helpful," said Batman.

Annie inwardly berated herself for her idiocy, "Oh yeah." She quickly walked to the bathroom to get the kit and returned to Batman. She sat next to him and paused again. "Um…I'm not one of those girls in the movies who automatically know what to do. I know the basics like the bullet needs to be out and the wound should be cleaned, but I'm not sure I can stitch flesh."

"Let's hope your friend does," said Batman.

There was a knock on the door.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Annie muttered. She looked through the peephole of the door and gave a sigh of relief when she saw Alfred. She opened the door and pulled him in quickly before shutting the door and locking it again. "Um…Batman meet Alfred and Alfred meet Batman."

"How do you do, sir?" Alfred asked, sitting next to Batman.

"I was shot," said Batman.

"Well there's no use being a baby over it," said Alfred.

Batman glared at Alfred before helping him get off the armor of his arm. The wound was pretty sick looking with blood and broken flesh and other things not polite mention in civilized conversation.

"Annie, get me some alcohol to clean this," said Alfred.

"Would whiskey work?"

"Yes, yes, that's fine…why do you have whiskey?"

Annie shrugged, "Why not? Hey, Alfred, where's Bruce?"

"He was needed at work," said Alfred.

"Oh, okay," said Annie. She left the room to get the whiskey. After getting it she was walking back to the living room before stopping. Batman and Alfred were talking about something.

"What on earth were you thinking? Why would you come here with her?" Alfred hissed.

"I couldn't escape. I can't help she's ridiculously sweet. She wouldn't let me go without making sure I was okay," Batman said. But he didn't sound like Batman. He sounded like…Bruce? "Honestly, Alfred, what was I supposed to do? I doubt I would've made it without her.

"Still, Master Wayne, we're in quite a sticky situation now," said Alfred.

Annie walked around the corner, staring at the two men with a pale face. Her breath had been taken away and not in the good way. "'Master Wayne?'" she choked. Annie stepped in front of the men, her grip iron tight on the bottle of whiskey. "Bruce?"

Neither man said anything.

Annie handed Alfred the bottle and stood directly in front of Batman. Trembling hands reached forward and took off Batman's mask. She stepped backward and dropped the mask on the floor. "Oh my God," said Annie. "Nothing you wanted to tell me?" She couldn't help the few tears the fell. Her breaths came in pants. "I can't breathe…I can't breathe!"

Alfred, who became quicker as Bruce was hurt more and more, finished treating Bruce quickly. Bruce hopped up to comfort Annie while Alfred went into the kitchen to clean the materials to make sure none of it was traceable and dispose of them.

Annie stopped backing away from Bruce when her back hit the wall and slid to the ground. "You're Batman. You've been protecting me all this time. You're the one risking your life all the time."

"Annie, please, I've wanted to tell you all along, but I didn't know how and then it was never the right time and I'm sorry. Please, Annie," said Bruce. He sunk down to the ground and pulled her into his arms.

She let him hold her; unable to believe this was really happening. It was too much all at once. "Bruce?"

Bruce let his grip lax so that she could look at his face. "What is it?"

"I don't know what to do anymore," she whimpered.

His heart broke. Bruce pulled her into his arms again, tighter than ever as her body shuddered with dry sobs. "We'll figure it out, Ann, we'll figure it out. I'll be here. I promise," Bruce whispered in her ear and continued to whisper sweet nothings in her ear.

They both groaned as someone knocked on the door. "Who the hell is visiting me _now_?" Annie complained. She separated from Bruce and wiped her tears away roughly. She went to the door and looked through the peephole. She gasped and pressed her back against the door. Looking at Bruce with wide eyes, Annie whispered, "We have a problem."

"What? Who is it?" Bruce asked. He put on his armor again, but kept the mask off. Alfred came back from putting the first-aid kit and whiskey away to see what the commotion was about.

"Harley's here…with Joker," Annie said breathlessly. "Oh crap."

The pair of men could only agree.


	17. Breaking Point

A/N: Sorry friends. I again went on a break when I did not intend to. Summer just really makes people lazy. Anyway, I hope this chapter is great and that you like it enough to review. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman. However, I do own my OCs so please don't take them without my permission. Besides, they don't like being manhandled. **

**Chapter 17: Breaking Point**

Annie looked at Alfred and Bruce with wide eyes. "You've gotta hide!" she whispered frantically.

"Annie? Are you home? Come on, open the door," Harley said, knocking on the door again.

"Just a minute! I'm getting dressed!" Annie called. She left the door to grab Bruce's and Alfred's hands to pull them to her bedroom. "Go! You can reach the fire escape from my window, but you may have to jump. I'll keep Joker and Harley here. Get the police here as soon as possible."

"I'm not leaving you here with Joker alone!" Bruce growled.

"You don't have a choice and we don't have time for this. Put your mask back on!"

Bruce rolled his eyes, but put on the mask. "I'm still not comfortable with this. Alfred can call the police to your place. I'm staying."

"Bruce…"

"Dammit, Annie, I'm not leaving you alone!"

Annie sighed, "Fine, but don't come unless you are absolutely needed."

"I'm not promising anything," said Batman.

"Whatever." Annie left the room, closing the door behind her. She half-jogged to her apartment door and opened it up. The sisters stood and stared at each other for a moment before launching themselves into the other's arms. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I'm surprise you haven't seen us on the t.v." Joker said.

Annie glared at him before returning her focus back on Harley, "Right. Uh, please come in." Annie let the couple into her apartment and shut the door behind them, but didn't lock it. "So, did you get my messages?" They sat on the couch.

"Yeah, that's why we came. I can't believe Logan is back. You've got to tell us everything," said Harley.

"It's not…I mean…just…Logan owed the mob a lot of money and I had to pay it off. It turns out that he was alive and the mob found out and that's how the meeting went," said Annie.

"Logan's alive?" Harley whispered in horror.

"No," said Annie. "Not anymore. He's dead. The mob tried to kill me and he took the bullets."

"Why would he do that? He hated you," said Harley.

Annie shrugged, "Redemption?" She couldn't tell Harley about Lorraine. It was too much too soon. Besides, Harley didn't feel like family anymore. She chose to be with the murderer instead. Eying Joker who went to the kitchen, Annie stood up from the couch, "What are you doing?"

"This seems like alcoholic moment," said Joker. He gave a shake to the bottle of whiskey he held in his hand.

"Out. You don't even know where my shot glasses are," Annie ordered.

Joker put the bottle down before lifting his hands in surrender and getting out of the kitchen. Annie hurriedly got the glasses and bottle and returned to the living room where Joker and Harley sat on the couch. Annie sat on the couch before giving them glasses and pouring the whiskey. She downed hers quickly and poured herself another before Joker and Harley had a chance to down their first shots.

Harley looked at Annie in shock. "Um…Annie, where's Bruce? I thought you were staying with him."

"We had a fight," said Annie. She put her glass down on the end table and stared at her hands.

"I'm so sorry. What was it about?"

"His archaic thought process about how men and women should act," said Annie.

"That's the worst," said Joker.

Annie shot him a look and he noticed.

"You don't like me much, do you?" Joker asked.

"Forgive me for not being comfortable with my sister dating a murdering thief," Annie growled.

"I think you forget that your sister isn't as innocent as you want her to be. She's a murdering thief now too. She's the one who got me out of Arkham. It just really bothers you that you can't order her around anymore," said Joker.

"I've never done that. The only thing that bothers me is that she threw her life away from some sick bastard who probably doesn't even care about her," said Annie.

Harley stood up angrily, "You don't know what's between us! What we have is something that you can't label or judge. DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO BELITTLE WHAT WE HAVE. YOU KNOW NOTHING! YOU'RE JUST A WEAK BITCH THAT ALWAYS HAS TO BE THE MATYR BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. YOU LOVE PAIN YOU SICK, MASOCHISITC TRAITOR!"

"How do you think I'm the weak one? You can't act on your own. You have to have orders. You can't think for yourself and that's masochism. You love being ordered. You love being humiliated. You love pain because it means you get to be the victim. Don't try to make me seem like the weak one. I'm the one who's been keeping you together all these years. I defended you, I took care of you, I paid the bills…it was all me! Then you ran off to marry some old guy. Don't put your mistakes on me. And for the record, you two have nothing. He took advantage of your kindness and twisted your mind into believing that you two love each other. He only wants you for the stuff you can get him." Annie's words were quiet and cold, each one like a whip to Harley's skin. "I can be a bitch too," she said to Harley's watering eyes."

Joker took out his gun and pointed it at Annie's head, "You know, I don't really like you."

"I'm sure I'll get over it," Annie replied. Her grip tightened on the whiskey bottle as Joker took the safety off the gun. Without a second thought, she smashed the whiskey against his arm, making him drop his gun which let off a shot. All three adults were on their feet in an instant. Annie kicked Joker between the legs and hit him over the head with the whiskey bottle.

Joker staggered as the bottle broke and went back on the couch while trying to get the glass off him. "Harley, some help would be appreciated."

Annie backed away as Harley stepped toward her. "Harley, come on. You don't have to do whatever he says. We're sisters. Are you really going to choose him over me?"

"He loves me. I have to choose him," said Harley.

"No you don't! There are plenty of other guys out there. You don't need him!" Annie exclaimed.

"Yes I do!" Harley punched Annie's gut and grabbed her hair.

"Harleen!" Annie kneed Harley in the stomach and scratched her nails down Harley's arm, making her sister let go of her hair. She pushed Harley away as Joker got back up. Annie ducked to the ground as someone broke through her window and pushed Joker away. Looking up, Annie saw Batman fighting with Joker. Sirens sounded through the air and Annie panicked as Harley picked up the gun and pointed it at Batman. "NO!" Annie tackled Harley and wrestled the gun out of her grasp.

The angels were apparently smiling on Annie because Jim Gordon and some other police officers busted into the apartment and Batman managed to escape from her apartment. Joker and Harley were arrested and taken away. Gordon kneeled next to Annie who was still on the ground. "You do realize that I can't let you stay here alone this time, right?"

Annie chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, I get it. What's going to happen to my sister?"

"She'll probably get jail time. She might even be sentenced to Arkham," Gordon told her sympathetically.

"I just want to be a family again," said Annie. She got to her feet with Gordon's help and together they walked down to the car. He kept his arm around her shoulders and helped her into the car. He shut the door when she was settled. She crossed her arms in front of her torso and looked out the window with tears streaming down her cheeks. The car ride to the police station was silent. When they reached their destination, they got out of the car, and headed to Gordon's office. Annie sat down on the couch as Gordon was talking to the other officers about something.

"Excuse me; where's Annette Hallowell?" Bruce's voice was louder than the racket. He was led to Gordon's office where Annie was staring at him. "Annie…"

"Bruce," said Annie. She stood to face him. "I don't know what happened. I just…lost control."

"It wasn't your fault," said Bruce. He stepped forward and took her into his arms. He held her as tightly as possible and was a bit shocked when she was able to return the strength.

"I antagonized her. There's no way she'll come back. I've lost her," Annie began sobbing. "That's it. There's nothing left. I've got nothing."

"That's not true," Bruce whispered in her ear. "You've got me and Alfred and Katie. We're always here for you. I'm always here for you. Please, Annie, I'm here. I'm here." He pressed his lips against her hair.

"I want to go," said Annie.

"You're free to. We've got your statements down," said Gordon.

"Thank you," Annie whispered. She and Bruce walked out and headed back to Wayne Manor where Alfred was waiting for them. His eyes were red and he was pale.

"I just found out about Lorraine," he told them.

"I'm sorry, Alfred," said Annie.

"It wasn't your fault," said Alfred.

"Yes it was! I'm the one who introduced you to her. I'm the one who threw my drama into your laps. I lost my sister and grandma. My boyfriend is Batman. My home is basically destroyed. I have no idea what to do. I can't handle this! I'm sorry, but I can't. I need to go. I can't do this!" Annie exclaimed. She rushed to her room with Bruce trailing behind her. She grabbed her bags and began to pack.

"What do you mean you can't handle this?" Bruce asked, shocked.

Annie gestured impatiently between them, "This. Us. I can't do it. I'm sorry, Bruce. I really am. I just…can't. I think we should take a break. I just can't do this."

"No…Ann. Why? Please, just stop for a moment," said Bruce, taking hold of her arms and stopping her from continuing. "Why can't we…work through this? Please, just stay. You can't go back home anyway. Where will you go?"

"I'll stay with Katie. Look, Bruce, I just need some time. I can't be in this relationship right now. Don't worry: I won't tell anyone you're Batman," said Annie. She broke Bruce's grasp and continued packing.

"Do you honestly think that's all I care about? I don't care that you know. I don't care if you tell everyone in the world if that means I get to keep you. Annie, I don't want to lose you. Just think about this. We can get through it! Please, just give me a chance!" Bruce begged.

Annie shook her head and wiped away a few tears. "I have to go. I can't work through this right now. Just give me some time. I can't be with you right now. Please understand."

"I can't lose you."

"I don't want it either, but I need this. It'll be okay. You'll see," said Annie. "I'll come back tomorrow for the rest of my stuff."

"How will you get there? You're car is at your apartment," said Bruce.

"I'll call a taxi," said Annie.

"I could drive you."

"That kind of defeats the whole needing time thing."

"Annie," Bruce whispered. "Please."

She looked at him with big eyes. He couldn't resist holding her one last time and kissing her for all he was worth. The kiss was hard and desperate, but they both needed it. Annie wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer to her body. His arms tightened around her waist while his fingers dug into her skin. They parted and stared deeply into each other's eyes. "I have to go," Annie said softly.

"No." It sounded like a plea.

"Yeah. I have to go. I'll see you again. Give me, like, a couple of weeks. I promise you: I _will_ come back."

"What if you don't? What if you realize I'm not good enough for you?"

"Then watch a romantic movie and chase after me to convince me why I should be with you, but I highly doubt you'll have to do that," said Annie. "Bye Bruce." She gathered her bags and walked out. She came back the next day for her stuff and left again. It tore at Bruce's heart. She was gone and wouldn't be back until God knows when. He began sleeping in the room she stayed while trying to keep Alfred together, but misery loved company. The two men were like zombies as they tried to function again. But as weeks passed they got stronger. Alfred was getting over his hurt of Lorraine's betrayal and Bruce was making plans to get Annie back. Because one thing was for sure among all the uncertainty and doubt:

Bruce would get Annie back.

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A/N: *Ducks behind a fortress wall* Please don't hurt me! The pain will not be forever! But I still have yet to decide whether they actually get back together. Reviews would certainly help my decision ;)


	18. Smile

A/N: Alright, my darlings, **this will be the last chapter**. All ends will be tied up, all questions will be answered, and all you have to do is read. There will be some cheesy parts so you might want some crackers to go with said cheese and depending on how soft your heart is; you might want some tissues and chocolate. Thank you so much for reading this and giving me such positive reviews. My confidence is low on my writing and you guys have helped boost it and I can't thank you enough for it. I love you guys 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman. That would be a form of slavery and that's not very nice, dear children. I do, however, own Annie and all the other OCs (this is not slavery because they are not real).**

**Chapter 18: Smile**

Annie sat on the couch with Katie while they watched _Sleepless in Seattle_ and feasted on junk food. They were near the end where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are officially meeting each other for the first time. Katie hurriedly took a tissue to wipe her eyes and used her other hand to grab Annie's. The credits began rolling up the screen and Katie and Annie let go of each other to straighten things up in the house. Katie decorated her house in the style of Victorian England. The hallways had hardboard floors while the rooms (except the kitchen) had plush carpet that made your feet feel good after a long day at work. Each room had a color theme. The living room was purples and pinks while Annie's room was in shades of blues and Katie's was in different reds. In her spare time, Katie sewed costumes for the local community theater and so manikins in partly finished costumes, fabrics, and baskets containing threads and needles were all over the place—though Katie did her best to move some of them to make the house seem neater.

"Annie?" Katie asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you miss Bruce?"

Annie paused in her actions before straightening her back and pacing to and fro behind the couch. "Of course I miss him. I'm pretty certain that Bruce Wayne is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Then why don't you take him back?"

"It's complicated. Some things came up that…that just makes it hard to keep up a relationship with Bruce."

Katie glared at her, "Bullshit. You're scared and you're hiding behind excuses."

"Even if I'm scared, it doesn't change that the fact that things have gotten complicated," said Annie." She sighed and jumped over the back of the couch to sit on it.

"Do you love him?"

"What?" Annie asked, shocked.

"Do you love him?" Katie repeated.

"I…well…I don't know," said Annie. She stared at her hands. "I mean, he's a good guy. He's kind and loyal and smart and protective…and a _really_ good kisser. He makes me feel special. I feel safe around him and I haven't had that with a man before."

Katie sat down next to her on the couch and said gently, "It sounds like you do have your answer."

"I can't be in love with him! I've only known him for a few months!" Annie exclaimed.

"I only knew my husband for a couple of weeks before I agreed to marry him," said Katie.

"Only a couple of weeks?"

"I was young and idealistic. I met him when a guy tried to mug me and Benny saved me. I took him to get a drink to thank him and…we just kept running into each other over and over. I'm not one to ignore signs. It was just right with him," said Katie. Her eyes sparkled and her face was the picture of serenity with a small, loving smile.

"That's really sweet," said Annie.

"That was him," said Katie. "So…are you going to call Bruce?"

Annie nodded, "I'll call him tomorrow. I have Friday off and I have a feeling that we'll need a long time to talk."

"Whatever makes this easier for you."

"Yeah," said Annie. "Well, I should probably go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Alright. Good night, Annie," said Katie.

"Good night, Katie."

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Sitting at the kitchen table, Bruce read the newspaper as Alfred cooked breakfast. It was quiet between the two men and so Bruce put down his paper and looked at Alfred. "Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Wayne?"

Bruce looked slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't really into the whole touchy-feely moments if they were forced. "Are…uh…how are you? Since the whole…Lorraine…situation?"

"I'm getting better, Master Wayne. It's only a broken heart," said Alfred. The older man smiled and went back to his work.

"Well, I'm here if you every want to talk. You've always been there for me and I—"

"Master Wayne," Alfred interrupted. "I know. However, it is the truth that I am getting better. What Lorraine did was deplorable, but I am learning to let it go. Lorraine and I weren't really going to have a serious relationship. We flirted and that was all. The truth is: I can't expect to have a real relationship because that would put risk to you and Batman. You mean a hell of a lot more to me than some woman."

"Alfred…I don't want you to think you can't be happy. I could be Batman on my own. You can go and have your own life and I'll pay for everything," said Bruce.

Alfred glared at Bruce, "Never offer to do that again, Master Wayne. You're my charge and I'm staying with you—I don't care how old you are. If you really want me to get better; you'd go get Annie back. I miss the girl. She's sweet and funny and I want her back in this mansion immediately. So go woo her and bring her home."

Bruce smiled, "I already have a plan for that, Alfred." He stood up and put on his jacket while a confused Alfred look at him.

"You're going to get her back. How? Why didn't you tell me about this plan?" Alfred asked, slightly offended about being left in the dark.

"I took Annie's advice. I watched a romantic movie and I'm going to surprised her. I have no actual plan," said Bruce.

"And you find this wise?"

"Not at all, but I'll do what it takes to get her back."

"Good luck, Master Wayne," said Alfred.

"Thanks, Alfred," said Bruce. He left the mansion to go see Annie.

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Rolling her shoulders back, Annie leaned against her chair after she finished drawing the sketches for the new deal with Earle Company. She exhaled a sigh and looked around her office. It was small, but cozy with a wooden floor and deep green walls. There were even pictures of flowers on the walls which made the office feel more like a room at home. The surface of her desk was clear and equipped with a computer and a cup filled with pens and pencils with a couple of chairs that were in front of it. She also had an easel that faced the windows for inspiration. Annie went to her desk and looked at her cell phone. Picking it up, she sighed and put it back down. "At least make it until the day is over!"

A knock on the office door shocked Annie from her thoughts as Katie's brother came into her office, "Hey, Annie, Bruce Wayne is here to see you…and he brought carnations."

"What?" Annie exited her office to see Bruce standing there, looking slightly uncomfortable as women from the office stared at him in lust. "Bruce!"

Bruce's face broke into a smile when he saw her, "Hi."

"Hi," said Annie. She looked around at everyone staring at them. "Would you like to step into my office for some privacy?"

"Yeah," said Bruce. They walked to Annie's office and she shut the door and closed the blinds. Bruce handed her the flowers, "These are for you."

"Thank you. How did you know carnations were my favorite?"

"When we were walking back from Mama McClain's Café we passed a flower shop and you told me they were your favorite," said Bruce.

"I can't believe you remember that."

"I remember everything when it comes to you."

Annie stared at him for a moment before putting the flowers down on her desk. "Bruce…I don't really know what to say."

"How about 'I'll take you back and we can live happily ever after?'" Bruce suggested.

"Bruce, this is serious. What if your…_hobby_ gets you hurt or worse one of these days? I don't know if I can go through that. I don't want to watch the man I love get beaten to a pulp every night," Annie said. Her eyes went wide and she clamped her hand over her mouth.

Bruce just looked surprised, "What did you say?"

"I said I don't want to watch you get beaten to a pulp every night."

"No you didn't. You said the man you love."

"Well, eh, I, fine! I'll admit it. I love you. Okay? I love you," said Annie. She crossed her arms in front of her and looked anywhere except Bruce.

Bruce, however, could only stand there stunned. He finally gained control of himself and went to Annie. He uncrossed her arms and put his hand under her chin to make her look at him. "Annette Hallowell, I love you too."

"What?"

"I love you. You're sweet and strong and possibly the best thing to ever happen to me. I can't imagine life without you and I don't want to. I would be honored if you would even consider being my wife." Bruce let her go and got down on one knee, taking out a velvet box. "I don't know what will happen, but I do know that I'll do everything in my power to keep you happy. I will love you and cherish you and will watch a romantic movie with you every once in awhile. Will you marry me?"

"I…"

"If it helps you decide, Alfred really wants you back. I think he likes you more than me."

Annie laughed, "Well, if it's for Alfred…I guess I could marry you."

"So that's a yes?"

"A million and one times," said Annie, wiping away a few tears.

Bruce put the ring on her finger, stood, and picked Annie up to spin her around. They pulled away as they heard clapping. Someone had opened Annie's door and watched the proposal. Annie blushed and buried her face in Bruce's chest as he laughed. He kissed the top of her head.

"Okay, okay," Katie's brother yelled over everyone. "Let the couple celebrate." The crowd dispersed.

Annie looked at the ring. It was a silver band with a flower made of little diamonds with one emerald on either side of it. "Bruce, this is beautiful," she said.

"It belonged to Alfred's mother. He gave it to me a week after I met you," said Bruce. His voice choked up a bit at the mention of the man who practically raised him.

Annie's eyes filled with more tears, "Oh, Alfred! He really wants you to be happy."

Bruce tightened his arms around Annie and whispered in her ear, "He really wants _us_ to be happy."

"Bruce, there's something I want before we get married."

"Name it."

Annie stared into his eyes and bit her lip, "Will you meet my mom?"

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Belle played Solitaire at the table by herself while waiting for Annie. Annie came every Saturday and she would not disappoint. One of the nurses came to Belle, "Hey Miss Belle, your daughter is here and she brought someone with her."

"Where's my Annie?" Belle looked to the door where Annie and some man had come through. Belle recognized him from the newspapers. It was Bruce Wayne with her Annie.

They came up to her and Annie kissed her cheek, "Hi, mom."

"Hi," said Belle. She looked at Bruce. "So…what is Mr. Wayne doing here?"

"Mom, do you remember me telling you that I was dating Bruce?"

Belle saw a sparkle on Annie's left hand, "Are you engaged?" Belle grabbed Annie's hand. "Darling, the ring is beautiful."

"Bruce proposed and I said yes. I wanted him to meet you," said Annie.

"It's nice to meet you Miss Hallowell. I want you to know that I care for your daughter very much and will be the best man I can be for her," said Bruce.

"You better be or I'll hunt you down like a dog," said Belle. She looked over the man who wanted to marry her daughter. "You two are certainly an attractive couple."

Bruce smiled, "Thank you. Miss Hallowell, I know I didn't ask your permission to marry Annie, but I was hoping that we could have your blessing."

"Annette," said Belle. She looked at her daughter square in the eye. "Are you happy?"

"More than I've ever been," said Annie.

Belle turned back to Bruce, "As long as you keep her happy; you will always have my blessing." The trio visited for hours—Annie and Belle mostly talking about plans for the wedding. All the mother could think about was how she had never her daughter smile so much in one day.

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_Seven Months Later_

Annie nervously looked in the mirror, not believing how beautiful she was. Her dress was pure white and strapless with small, crystal beading on the torso and pickups in the skirt. Her long hair was pulled into a French twist and complimented her make-up. Annie looked at the necklace around her neck. It only had a small diamond, but it belonged to Belle. Arkham wouldn't let her come to the wedding so Belle gave her the necklace so that a part of her could be there. Katie entered the reflection and put her arms around Annie's shoulders. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," Annie whispered. "I can't believe I'm doing this. After my parents, I didn't think I'd get married."

"You deserve to be happy. Both of you," said Katie. A knock on the door made the girls part as Alfred came in.

"Are you ready, Annie?" Alfred asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready," said Annie.

Katie and the other two bridesmaids (from Annie's work) grabbed their bouquets and filed out of the room. Bruce and Annie had chosen to get married at Wayne Manor. It was going to be a small wedding. Among the guests were Jim Gordon, Mama McClain, and a few others. Katie and the girls headed down the aisle as the music began. It was a beautiful room decorated in white carnations. The guests were sitting in white chairs that Bruce rented from a company. However, Annie couldn't focus on anything except for Bruce. He was handsome in his black tux with his hair sleeked back.

"Ready?" Alfred whispered in her ear.

Annie hooked her arm through his and grinned, "Ready."

They walked down the aisle while Bruce smiled at Annie and made her feel more beautiful. When Alfred and Annie reached the end, the minister asked who gave Annie to Bruce and Alfred answered him. Katie held Annie's bouquet so that Annie could hold Bruce's hands in her own.

The minister stepped forward and began the ceremony. He went on about how Bruce and Annie were a good match and all the other stuff they say. Annie tuned him out as she thought about how her family should've been there. Lorraine, Belle, and Harley. It should've been different. Harley should've been maid of honor. Belle should have walked her down the aisle. Lorraine should have been watching. But maybe things were better this way. If it wasn't for all the complications, Annie wouldn't have met Bruce or Alfred or Katie. They had become her family and she loved them more than anything. Despite all the hardships, Annie wouldn't have traded them for the world. It had suddenly become time for the vows and Annie began paying attention again.

Bruce repeated after the minister, "I Bruce, take you Annette, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness." Bruce put the wedding band on her finger and wiped away the lone tear that had escaped her eye.

It was Annie's turn, "I Annette, take you Bruce to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness." Annie put the ring on his finger and smiled.

"With the power invested in me, I now pronounce you two husband and bride. Bruce, you may kiss the bride," said the minister.

Bruce didn't need to be told twice. He pulled Annie forward and kissed her for all he was worth as everyone clapped and cheered for the two. The guests transferred to the reception and enjoyed the party. Bruce and Annie were barely apart the whole time. Finally it was time for the honeymoon and Bruce and Annie were spending it at a small bed and breakfast in Maine. As they walked into it for the wedding night, Annie stopped them from going in. Bruce looked at her curiously.

"You make me happy. I hope you know that," said Annie.

"I know."

"How?"

Bruce kissed her forehead, "Because I've never seen you smile as much as you have today." They walked into the room and spent the night in pleasure.

Bruce and Annie had two kids over the years—a boy named Thomas Alfred Wayne and a girl named Martha Belle Wayne. Bruce eventually retired from being Batman and Thomas took over (much to his mother's displeasure). Annie built her own architectural firm that expanded to a few states. They spent their days happily with their children and Alfred. Alfred eventually passed into the other world and Bruce and Annie were grateful for all their time with him. Time wore on and Katie got married again and had kids.

Annie didn't reconnect with Lorraine or Harley again. Lorraine died from old age and her "company" disbanded. Harley was shot in a standoff with the police. Annie went to and planned both funerals. Belle also passed on, but quietly in her sleep.

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne still live in Wayne Manor with their children and grandchildren. Every day they make new memories and couldn't be happier. Whenever anyone sees them, they always have a smile.

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A/N: Tis the end, my dear friends. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to see Annie's wedding dress, I'm posting a link on my account page. Please review!


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